Not Only But Also
by oz diva
Summary: A/U Anne arrived unexpectedly, but the Cuthberts still need a boy. This story follows the exploits of Anne and her brother Joe. *** on hiatus ***
1. Chapter 1

**Marilla Cuthbert is surprised**

"Matthew Cuthbert, who's that?" She ejaculated. "Where is the boy?"

"There wasn't any boy," said Matthew wretchedly. "There was only her."

"You don't want me!" Anne cried. "You don't want me because I'm not a boy!" I might have known it was all too beautiful to last. I might have known nobody really did want me. Oh what shall I do?"

After dinner, which she had been too upset to eat, they sent her to bed. Marilla came back downstairs to discuss the situation with Matthew.

"Well now Marilla, we could keep her and get a boy as well."

Marilla looked at him quizzically. "I suppose so."

"We have enough room and plenty of food. A boy could help me on the farm and Anne could keep you company. Now that she's here, I can't bear to send her back. I couldn't be so heartless. She's a real interesting little thing."

"What good would she be to us?"

"We might be some good to her."

"Matthew Cuthbert I believe that girl has bewitched you, but what you propose has merit. We could ask her about a good boy to adopt as well."

Over breakfast they quizzed Anne. "If we kept you, we might adopt a boy as well, as Matthew still needs help with the farm work. Were there any suitable boys at the asylum?"

"There was an abundance of them."

"Can you recommend any?"

"Can I think about it for a bit, it's a matter of much solemnity."

* * *

Anne considered; it had to be a boy of the right age, and someone she liked, as they would be raised as brother and sister. She went outside to think it over.

There were four possibilities as she saw it: Joe Franklin was nice enough. He was strong, polite, not too saucy and intelligent. Then there was Jack Wilson, she liked him too, but perhaps he was too cheeky and Miss Cuthbert might not like it if he talked back to her. Robert Murphy was a good boy, but maybe too young at nine. Then there was Thomas Martin he was another good candidate, he was intelligent, handsome and not afraid of work.

She weighed the pros and cons of each boy, if she got it wrong they might both get turned out. Eventually she had it narrowed down to two boys, she went inside to discuss her choices with Mr and Miss Cuthbert.

"There are two good choices", she said frankly, "they are the right age, about 11 or 12, they are nice boys. I like them both."

"Well that's hardly a consideration for us" retorted Marilla.

"Well I have to live with them for the rest of my life Miss Cuthbert, I think whether I like them should be a consideration."

"She has a point Marilla."

"So who are your choices?"

"Thomas Martin and Joe Franklin, they are both nice boys, I would think they would benefit from living here with us, they are pretty strong and good workers."

"Well we can only take one, which is it to be?"

"Miss Cuthbert they are just names to you, but they are people to me, it's too hard for me to make that decision. Can you just pick one name and go with that?"

"All right Joe Franklin it is. Matthew I'll write to the matron and ask her to send this boy to us."

* * *

The Matron of the Hope Asylum was startled the following week to receive this letter:

 _Mrs Black_

 _We were surprised last week to receive a girl, Anne Shirley, from your establishment. Our message got garbled, as we in fact wanted a boy. However the mistake was made and we have decided to keep Anne. However, we still require a boy to help my brother with the farm work. We asked Anne to provide the name of a boy to send to us and she supplied two, namely Joe Franklin and Thomas Martin. We would like you to send Joe Franklin over to us by train. In the unlikely event that he has already been adopted we will take Thomas Martin instead._

 _Marilla Cuthbert (Miss)_

Mrs Black sent word out across the grounds for Joe Franklin to come to her office at once.

"Joe, something amazing has happened. As you recall Anne Shirley was adopted recently, apparently her guardians in fact wanted a boy and they have requested that you be sent to them. What do you think?"

Joe sank to the floor, in a stupor. "They want to adopt me?"

"Yes they asked for you by name, I can only assume Anne suggested you. You owe her a debt of gratitude for this favour, as it is a marvellous opportunity you have been granted. I will make the necessary arrangements. It's quite out of the way, where they live."

* * *

A week later Matthew and Anne drove to the station again, this time to pick up a boy. As expected he was waiting for them on the platform. He had been put on the train on his own and was told where to alight.

Anne ran down the station platform and hugged him tight. "Oh Joe, I am so happy to have you here with me. I think it's all going to work out fine. Mr and Miss Cuthbert are the nicest people, I'll tell you all about them. Here's Mr Cuthbert to take us home" she blurted out in a rush. "Mr Cuthbert, this is Joe."

"Well good afternoon Joe, nice to meet you." Matthew said kindly.

"Good afternoon to you, Mr Cuthbert. Thank you for agreeing to take me on."

"Come this way, the buggy is just along here, shall I take your bag?"

"No it's fine, Mr Cuthbert, I can manage."

Joe looked around at all the greenery in somewhat of a daze, Anne bubbled along next to him, very happy with the way her life was panning out.

"I'll point out all the sights along the way Joe. This is such a beautiful part of the world. Isn't it Mr Cuthbert?"

Mr Cuthbert seemed to be a man of few words as he just smiled and nodded. Joe rather wished Anne would be quiet for just a moment; he needed time to process all the life around him.

Anne pointed out The White Way of Delight, an avenue of blossoming apple trees and The Lake of Shining Waters, just a pond as far as Joe could see. She did have a romantic way about her. He'd never seen her quite like this, but then there wasn't much to be excited about at the asylum. Joe for his part was mostly silent. There was too much space; he didn't feel quite comfortable out in it. He was glad he had the buggy and the comforting, quiet presence of Mr Cuthbert. He thought he might like working for this man.

Eventually Mr Cuthbert drew the buggy to a stop and pointed out down the hill to a pretty house with green gables nestled in a valley. "That's home, that's Green Gables."

"Isn't it perfectly splendid Joe? Have you ever seen anything as beautiful? That's our home."

It did look beautiful Joe had to agree. In fact he'd never heard of any description of heaven being better than this. He gulped a bit and felt tears come to his eyes. He wiped them away roughly before anyone noticed.

Anne jumped down and opened the gate for them and the horses trotted into the yard. Joe could see a tall woman with grey hair done up in a little bun walk out of the house.

"Miss Cuthbert, this is Joe."

"Good afternoon Joe, welcome to Green Gables."

"Good afternoon ma'am. Thank you for agreeing to adopt me."

"Come inside now, I have some afternoon tea for us all."

Joe walked into the house, it was simple enough but it seemed like a palace to his eyes. It was clean for one thing, there was barely a speck of dirt anywhere, Miss Cuthbert must be a stickler for housework he guessed.

"Joe, this will be your room." Miss Cuthbert directed him to a room off the kitchen. "Mr Cuthbert is located next door. Put your bag down and come out to wash."

Joe barely had time to look around at his surroundings; he would examine it later. For now he was hungry and afternoon tea beckoned. He hoped it would be tasty.

After washing at the pump, they sat down at the table. Miss Cuthbert served plum puffs, ginger snaps and apples with tea for the adults and milk for the children.

Joe hesitantly took a ginger snap from the plate, but Miss Cuthbert offered the plate of plum puffs too, "take a couple Joe, I'm sure you're famished after your long day." Like Anne, Joe was too thin. She would make it her mission to fatten these poor waifs up.

The puffs were nicer than anything Joe had ever eaten. He ate them quickly and wanted to lick his fingers afterwards, but thought that might not be polite. He wiped his hands on his pants instead.

"Anne you might like to show Joe around the property before dinner." Marilla suggested.

"C'mon Joe, this is ever such a lovely place." Joe followed her out the door and to the barn. "They have cows, horses, goats, pigs and chickens. I expect you'll get to know them all soon enough. You look a bit pale Joe, are you all right?"

"I just need to sit down for a bit, Anne. It's all a bit much to take in right now. When I woke up this morning I didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't this."

"Oh yes, I absolutely understand, do you want to go and lie down for a bit?"

"Would that be all right? I won't get into trouble will I?"

"Oh no, not at all. Miss Cuthbert is strict enough, but she sees sense. I'll just tell her you need a rest." They made their way back to the house. Marilla was surprised to see them back so soon. "Miss Cuthbert, Joe has had a big day, he needs to lie down for a bit."

"Yes of course, can I get you anything else Joe?"

"No, that's all right thank you Miss Cuthbert. I just …"

Lord, the boy looks like he might faint, she thought as she watched him walk into his room and close the door. "Is he all right Anne?" Marilla enquired.

"I think it's been a big day for him, that's all. He just needs time to adjust."

"Just so, just so. Can you come and give me a hand with dinner then."

Joe lay in his bed thinking, just this morning he had woken up in his asylum bed in a draughty room with a too thin blanket and now he was lying in his own room, on a soft bed with as many blankets as he could ever wish for, he nodded off to sleep, hoping it wasn't all a dream.


	2. Chapter 2 Hopeless Town

**Hopeless Town**

Hopetown Asylum was anything but. Nicknamed Hopeless Asylum by its inhabitants it was a place of little hope and no joy. Joe Franklin had lived at Hopeless for many years. He had been left there when his parents died in a coach accident* when he was 6 months old. A horse bolted and the wayward carriage ran over his parents killing them outright. Joe was thrown clear by his panicked mother. He was found lying a few yards away from his dead parents, staring straight up with his big brown eyes. He grinned a big toothy smile at the person who came to pick him up.

"Aw gee, he's a cutie pie, wish we could keep him?"

"Well we can't and that's a fact. He's gotta go to the orphanage they can look after him there."

He was placed in Hopeless then and grew up within its unfeeling walls; never knowing the love of his poor parents. At two he moved from the infant nursery to the toddlers room. He was brought up by older children, mostly girls, who were themselves under nourished and overworked. To them he was just another squalling mouth. He learnt not to cry when he was unhappy, nothing ever came of it. He made a few friends, but it seemed to him that they were usually adopted out and he never heard from them again. Sometimes they died of illnesses that ravaged the asylum, such as the diphtheria epidemic when he was six. He stopped making close associations after friends left him either from death or adoption.

When he was eight he moved up into the boys dormitory. If it were possible, this was worse. The age range was from eight upwards. The big boys made the younger ones run errands, beat them, and sometimes did worse things. At night the place was pretty well ungoverned, giving free reign to the abusers.

* * *

A few months earlier a red headed girl came to live at the asylum. He wasn't particularly interested, new children arrived all the time. This girl was unusual though, she had a spark about her that you didn't usually see in an orphan. She used big words, in fact he wasn't always sure what she was talking about.

Boys and girls their age didn't have much to do with each other, they slept apart, why he wasn't sure, but the Matron sure took it seriously. Any child found out of bounds in the wrong bedroom was walloped and deprived of dinner, such as it was. Sometimes the food was so awful that going without was a mercy.

Despite this, he became aware, as did the rest of the asylum population, of this girl, Anne. She was forever getting into trouble and back talking the matron. He rather admired her spirit. He made a point of sidling up to her whenever he got the chance. Anne had an excellent imagination and would spin stories when she was supposed to be doing chores. If you worked next to her she made the job and the time fly by. Some of the other kids thought she was stuck up and teased her for her imagination but Joe thought she was marvellous. Anyone who bought a spark of joy to bleak Hopeless was all right in his book.

So he was devastated all over again; when much to everyone's surprise she was adopted out. That didn't happen all that often to eleven year old girls. He assumed she'd be a scullery maid or unpaid servant to some woman with too many children, he knew she'd done that before. Hopeless seemed particularly sad without her around.

Then a miracle occurred and the word came to him that the Matron wanted to see him. He was fearful, no one went to see the Matron for happy reasons. But then she said the words he had barely dared dream of:

"Joe, something amazing has happened. As you recall Anne Shirley was adopted recently, apparently her guardians in fact wanted a boy and they have requested that you be sent to them."

Joe couldn't help it, he sank to the floor "They want to adopt me?"

"Yes they asked for you by name. You'll have to make your own way there, I will make the arrangements."

So the next day he was packing his meagre possessions in a old bag before walking out the gate and boarding a train. He hadn't spent much time on his own, he had always been surrounded by people, but he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through his fingers on account of nervousness.

Still he was very relieved to see Anne Shirley at the train station as soon as he alighted the train. Her familiar red hair shone out like a beacon. Anne threw her arms around him and told him how pleased she was to see him again and introduced him to Mr Cuthbert. It seemed his luck had changed, maybe he could hope again.

* I chose to kill the Franklins in this manner because it's how my own great grandfather was orphaned in Ireland in 1860. He was sent out to Australia to live with an uncle after a spell in the workhouse.


	3. Chapter 3 The Trumpet to the Morn

**The Trumpet to the Morn***

 _Cockadoodle doooo. Cockadoodle doooo._

The cock crowing woke Joe up the next morning. He was mystified, he'd never heard the sound before, and he had no idea what it could be. At first he was confused about where he was. Then it all came rushing back; he was in Avonlea with Anne and the Cuthberts. He felt an all too familiar grumbling in the pit of his stomach. Hopefully breakfast would be satisfying this morning, it usually wasn't at Hopeless. He could hear people stirring outside, so he got dressed and opened his door to see Mr Cuthbert transferring milk from a small container to a larger one. Miss Cuthbert was by the stove and Anne was nowhere to be seen. Joe stood in his doorway for a bit, not sure of his place. Marilla glanced up and saw him standing there. "Good morning Joe, did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you Miss Cuthbert. My bed is very warm and comfortable."

"We're about to have breakfast. Sit down at the table. We're having eggs and bacon, I'll just call Anne."

They all sat down and served themselves fried egg and bacon from platters on the table. There were big glasses of fresh milk for Anne and him. Joe thought the bacon smelt delicious. There seemed to be an enormous amount of food for everyone, he couldn't see how the four of them could consume it all. He took a small helping, but Marilla encouraged him to take more. "You're too thin Joe, we need to fatten you up, take more bacon and another egg and here is some toast." The food was delicious and he ate enthusiastically, Marilla kept piling more food on his plate until he couldn't eat another thing. Anne was doing her best to keep up, but she was full before him. The Cuthberts looked satisfied, it did Marilla's heart proud, to see him eat so heartily. "That was a good breakfast Joe." Joe couldn't remember the last time he had been allowed to eat his fill. As he was eating he asked about the strange noise that woke him up.

The Cuthberts laughed, not unkindly, at the question. "That's a rooster crowing Joe. He's our alarm clock. He'll wake you every morning." Matthew explained.

"I'll be happy to introduce you Joe." Anne said helpfully.

"Miss Cuthbert, would you like me to help you with the dishes?" Joe offered.

"Oh not today Joe. Tomorrow we'll put you to work helping Matthew, but today we want you to get acclimatised. Anne will help you."

Breakfast eaten, Anne took Joe's hand and led him out to the chicken coop to introduce him to the rooster. "He's beautiful Anne." He was indeed, he was a big bird, with a red crest on the top of his head and a red dangly bit under his chin, a big long tail of black feathers, orange feathers down his neck, black glossy feathers down his chest and red, and orange ones down his back. "That's called his comb", said Anne pointing at his crest "and that's the wattle", she said pointing at the bit under his beak.

"Does he really make that noise every morning?" Joe asked.

"Yup, and during the day too. He's very noisy." Anne replied, "he's the big boss, or so he thinks. C'mon, I'll show you around. Have you ever milked a cow?"

"No. I've never seen a cow."

"Oh, they're beautiful." Anne led Joe out to the barn, they said hello to the horse on the way. "This is Belle," said Anne "I named her. The Cuthbert's just called her mare. That seemed too sad to me; she needed a name. Here is the cow. What shall we name her?"

"I dunno, I've never named anything before."

"Traditionally cows are called Daisy. Does she look like a Daisy to you?"

Joe was silent; she looked like a cow, not a flower. The cow looked up at their approach and Anne took this as affirmation that Daisy was indeed her name.

She led him up the ladder to the top of the barn; it was full of hay. Joe sneezed.

"It's dusty isn't it?"

"Yep". "Tell me Anne, what are the Cuthberts like, why didn't either of them get married?"

"I don't know Joe, I think it must be a tragical story of unrequited love, though." She paused for a moment thinking of it.

"Are they nice?"

"Miss Cuthbert is a bit strict. She's always cleaning the house; she doesn't like it if I make a mess. She's pretty religious too, always talking about God, but she's really kind" she added, as Joe looked a bit worried. "I think she's just not used to having children around."

"And what about Mr Cuthbert?"

"Oh he's lovely. I don't have as much to do with him, I'm inside and he's out here tending to the farm, but from what I have seen of him, he's like a kindred spirit. I think you'll get on fine with him."

Joe rubbed his stomach, "Ouf that was a big breakfast, I don't think I've ever had so much to eat in one go."

Anne giggled, "They think we're too skinny, I overheard Miss Cuthbert talking to Mrs Lynde, saying that she thinks I need fattening up, and she's just the person to do it."

"Who's Mrs Lynde?"

"Oh, she's their neighbour. She's very nosy; I bet you meet her before too long. You're handsome though, Joe, you should be fine. She said my hair was as red as carrots and that they didn't pick me for my looks. I'm afraid I was a bit rude back."

Joe thought about Anne's reactions at Hopeless to people who were mean to her and thought he could picture the scene.

They could hear Miss Cuthbert calling them in, so they climbed down the ladder and ran over to the house.

* * *

Marilla watched the children run out to the chicken coop and went back to washing the breakfast dishes. Joe was too thin, and small for his age, like Anne. But she meant to feed them well. He seemed to like his breakfast and that was encouraging. Maybe with some good food and fresh air, they would grow.

As expected, the next thing she knew Rachel Lynde was knocking at the door. "What's this I hear Marilla? Don't tell me you've gone and got yourself another orphan? Are you insane, didn't you pay any attention to my advice last week?

"Well Rachel, Matthew couldn't bear to send Anne back to the asylum, and I admit she's a nice little thing, but we still needed someone to help him run the farm. So we decided to adopt a boy as well. We have plenty of space here, so it's really no extra bother."

"So in the space of two weeks you've gone from being childless to having two children, why stop there?"

"That's about the sum of it, Rachel. Do you think we're biting off more than we can chew?"

"Well maybe you are at that, but what do I know, I've only bought up ten children myself? Of course I had them spread out over two decades, not all at once. Those teenage years are tricky Marilla. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Well I'm sure you'll give me plenty of advice Rachel. _Whether I ask for it or not_." She muttered under her breath. "Do you want to meet the boy, his name is Joe."

"Yes, you had better introduce us."

Marilla went out the back door and called out to Anne and Joe to come in, and after a minute she saw them running across the yard.

"Joe, I want to introduce you to our neighbour, Mrs Lynde."

Joe stood up tall and looked Mrs Lynde straight in the eye. "Good morning Mrs Lynde." Rachel liked what she saw. Joe was a handsome boy with dark brown hair and eyes. He was too thin, like Anne, but she supposed Marilla would fix that up.

"Please to meet you Joe." She replied, "what do you think of Green Gables then?"

"It's the nicest place I've ever been, Mrs Lynde.

"I was just going to serve Mrs Lynde some morning tea children, would you like to take some plum puffs out to the barn?" Marilla offered.

"Yes please, Miss Cuthbert." Anne replied.

* * *

"But we've only just had breakfast, Anne. Now she's feeding us more?" Joe said when they returned to the barn laden with yet more food.

"I know" Anne giggled, "there's so much food here. Imagine what the children at old Hopeless would say if they could see us now."

At the mention of Hopeless, Joe thought back to legions of small children in dirty clothes waiting in line for a miserable breakfast. He shuddered, looking around him at the barn with all the hay and the animals below and looked out at the fields beyond. "Is this paradise Anne?"

"I dunno, but it must be pretty close Joe."

"Do you think Mrs Lynde liked me?"

"I guess so, you didn't call her names, so you did better'n me at any rate. Here have a plum puff; they're delicious. Miss Cuthbert is a wonderful baker." Joe eyed them, still full from his breakfast barely an hour before. "Go on."

He took a nibble at the corner of one and before he knew it he had eaten the whole thing. "Oh, my" he said with his mouth full of the crumbly pastry "I think I've died and gone to heaven. These are amazing, why did we only get two each?"

"Pop down to the kitchen and ask for more then, I'm sure she'll oblige."

"I couldn't Anne."

"Go on, I dare you" but Joe wouldn't budge. Anne jumped up and ran back down to the kitchen. Marilla was happy to see her and happier still when Anne said that Joe wanted more pastries. "Why didn't he ask himself?"

"He's a bit shy, and asking for more got you into trouble at the Asylum."

"Oh you poor things, here take the whole plate."

* * *

"Say Anne, why did you pick me to join you?" Joe asked after they had eaten a few more puffs each.

"I thought of a few boys Joe, you and Jack Wilson, Robert Murphy and Thomas Martin. I thought Jack was a bit too cheeky and Robert is too young. So it was between you and Thomas. I admit I couldn't decide between you two, so I left it up to the Cuthberts and they picked you."

"But why did you think I could even be a candidate?"

"Well, even though you'd been at Hopeless forever, you weren't bowed down by the system and you were nice to me. Some of those kids seemed to hate me, but you were happy to listen to my crazy stories. It's nice to have a willing audience. I thought you would make a good brother."

Joe looked at her in amazement, he hadn't thought of it that way. This beautiful, wonderful girl would be his sister! His prospects were looking up.

* Shakespeare, Hamlet Act 1, Scene 1


	4. Chapter 4 Children are Gifts

_Thank you for reading my little AU. I really have no idea where these two will end up, if you would like to make any suggestions I'll be happy to incorporate them if I can._

 ** _Children are Gifts_**

Matthew Cuthbert was shocked to find after all this time, that he was father to two children. His daughter Anne was a romantic. She saw magic wherever she looked and insisted on sharing it with whoever was nearby. He adored her from the first moment he saw her beautiful red hair. He wished he could persuade Anne that her hair was stunning; she was so set against it. She talked non-stop, either about real or imagined things. Matthew knew it drove his sister slightly demented, but he thought it was charming. Anne didn't need much feedback from him either, she was just happy to prattle away to him. Truth be told, he didn't always listen to every word, it was just nice to have the sound of her nearby.

His son Joe was quieter. He had a tendency to whistle when he worked though. It was a cheerful sound or sometimes he broke into song instead. Joe had a good singing voice, so Matthew enjoyed listening to either form of music, it made the day pass quicker to have him around. Joe was much more down to earth than Anne. He had a practicality that Matthew admired in one so young. Admittedly he knew nothing about farm work when he arrived, but he worked hard, while Matthew patiently explained each task to him.

Initially Joe was hesitant around the animals, particularly the cows. Matthew enjoyed teaching him how to milk. You had to grip the teats with just the right amount of force. It was interesting, Matthew could hardly remember learning the trick himself; and initially found it difficult to explain it to Joe. They sat next to each other on milking stools and Matthew put his large hands over Joe's smaller ones and together they found the sweet spot. After a couple of goes Joe was milking as though he'd done it all his life. Matthew showed Joe how to harness the horses, one for the ploughing and one for the buggy. The ploughing horse, Ben, was a strong, somewhat stubborn, beast. But once he got going he could pull the plough for hours at a time.

The only problem Joe faced was that the hayloft gave him hay fever. He'd tried to fork the hay up there in the loft with the motes of dust in the sunlight streaming through the chinks in the walls, it was pretty, but deadly, Matthew could hear him sneezing constantly. He wasn't as badly affected below where the animals were, but there was something about the piles of hay in close quarters that affected poor Joe. He went through masses of handkerchiefs and Marilla had to make sure he had a constant supply. Sometimes his nose and eyes would be streaming so hard that he'd be practically blind and they'd have to bathe his eyes before dinner.

"I think I'll fork the hay from now on, Joe." Matthew offered at the end of a particularly bad day. "That's not such an issue when you're helping me with everything else."

"That's a good idea Matthew," said Marilla as she held a wet towel to Joe's streaming eyes, "he can't go on like this". Joe looked at them both through slitted eyelids. He hated to disappoint them, but he didn't think he could face the hayloft again. Marilla squeezed his shoulders in sympathy, "No matter Joe, we know you want to help, but the hayloft is no place for you." She sent him to bed after another massive dinner with a cold towel pressed to his eyes.

"Apart from the hay, how's he going Matthew?"

"He's wonderful, he has a natural affinity with the animals and I like to hear him whistling around the place. He's not shy of a good day's work either. I'll just have to look after the feeding myself. That's nothing new."

* * *

They had asked Joe about his background shortly after he had arrived and he had told them his short, sad story. How his parents had been killed so suddenly and left him all alone in the world. He didn't go into much detail about Hopeless, as if he wanted to put that behind him. Matthew thought the unspoken details said more than could be put into words. Anne had given them some information too, it sounded like a grim place.

Around the same time the siblings had told the children that they preferred to be called by their Christian names. "Matthew and Marilla will do for us, Anne and Joe." Anne's immediate response was to ask if she could call them Aunt and Uncle, but Marilla didn't believe in calling people names that didn't belong to them. Joe made no such request Marilla noticed, somewhat relieved. In fact she saw him shoot a look of incredulity at Anne when she asked, as if to say don't push it Anne.

* * *

One morning after he had been there a few weeks Joe shyly walked up to Marilla as she was fixing breakfast, still in his nightshirt. "Not dressed yet Joe?"

"My pants are too small Marilla."

"Oh, all that food you've been tucking away is finally starting to have an effect is it?"

She called to Matthew, "Joe's clothes don't fit him anymore. Please lend him some until I get a chance to run something up for him." Matthew's shirt and pants were too big, but Joe cinched up the trousers with a belt and rolled up the sleeves.

"Well that will have to do for now, Joe, but I'll measure you for a set of your own. Anne and I will go to town this morning to buy some material."

After dinner he had to stand in front of her almost naked, wearing nothing but Matthew's underwear while she measured him for a new set of clothes. Anne was reading by the fire and she noticed his new muscles and brown limbs. She looked down at herself, Marilla had made her a new dress shortly after she had arrived, it was as plain as anything, but at least it was far more comfortable than her last dress. She didn't think that old thing would have lasted her long anyway. Marilla loved nothing more than feeding her and Joe masses of delicious food, so they were both putting on weight.

After a day wearing Matthew's clothes, Joe was pleased to put on the trousers and shirt Marilla had made for him. He had never had new clothes before, everything he'd ever worn had been a hand me down. "I've made them a bit too big, Joe, you've room to grow. Let me know when they're getting too small next time, rather than leaving it til it's too late." She smiled at him in the candlelight to let him know she wasn't cross.

The Cuthberts were so kind to Anne and him. He felt safe at Green Gables in a way he never had at Hopeless. With their gentle quiet nature he felt at home sooner than he expected. Memories of Hopeless were fading into the background which was just as well as they weren't happy ones.

Matthew looked around the dinner table one night as Marilla and Anne were serving dinner, a chicken pie that night. The glow of the candle illuminated the room as usual, but the chatter and hubbub made a welcome change to the quiet nights he and Marilla had endured up until a couple of months ago. After dinner, if he had the energy, Joe had taken to leading them in a song. It was a cheerful way to end the day. Matthew and Marilla smiled to each other; the children had bought the house to life.


	5. Chapter 5 Hopeless by Nature

_Thanks to **Kslchen** for the prompt._

 **Hopeless by Nature**

It was harvest time and the air about Avonlea was thick with dust and pollen. It created a haze over the town and its surrounds, as everyone was busy cutting hay to feed their stock over the next year. Joe was suffering. His sneezes were the least of it, his eyes and nose were streaming and he couldn't find any relief. Worst of all there was no way he could help Matthew. It was such a lot of work for the older man and Joe felt useless. If he even attempted to help, he was rendered helpless by his constant sneezing and was nearly blinded by his streaming eyes and his eyelids closing in protest.

He confided to Anne that he felt worse than inept. "I don't think they'll keep me if I can't help out now, Anne. This is the most important time on the farm and I'm useless. "

"Don't be silly Joe, you're more than a pair of hands to them, we're their kin now."

But it was no use, as the days went by Joe watched poor Matthew coming in from the harvest all dusty and exhausted and felt increasingly guilty. He was eating their food, but not contributing in any way.

He felt too guilty and he packed his few possessions and stole away into the night, meaning to return to Hopeless, for that is how he felt.

* * *

The next morning Marilla called the children to breakfast but only Anne appeared. "Where is Joe?" Marilla enquired, she opened his bedroom door and found the bed unslept in. "He's gone! Do you know anything Anne?"

"He was upset that he couldn't contribute to the harvest, he feels just terrible about that."

"Oh, the poor lad. We don't care about that at all. Doesn't he realise he's one of the family now. He's not just here for the work he performs."

Matthew returned from milking the cow and Marilla explained the situation. Matthew looked shocked. "I suppose I'll have to go after him."

"No, you stay and continue the harvest, Matthew. Anne and I will go and bring Joe home. Where do you think Joe will have gone, Anne?"

"I think he's gone back to Hopeless."

"Hope less? Where's that?"

"Oh, that's the nickname we had for the Hopetown Asylum, Marilla. There wasn't any hope to be found there. I think he might think that as he's hopeless, that's the place for him."

Tears came to Marilla's eyes on thinking her boy was so miserable. "Matthew, give Anne and I a lift to the station, we're going to fetch him back" she commanded. The women quickly packed a bag each and Matthew hitched the horse to the buggy and they were off before they knew it.

Marilla was fretting on the train, she was so concerned about Joe, she barely had any time to think about the journey ahead. She had taken the train before, but never the ferry off the island. Anne was shocked to see the normally stoic Marilla so agitated. Marilla kept asking, "Do you think he'll be all right? He's only young; he doesn't know what he's doing. I hate to think of him being so upset. Why didn't he talk to us?" Anne did her best to placate her.

Once they got to the port, Anne had to negotiate the ticket buying, Marilla was in such a state. Anne led her up the gangplank and they sat down in the cabin. Anne almost wished she could have slapped Marilla; she was getting somewhat hysterical with the stress. Instead she took Marilla's hands in her own and said "Marilla, calm down, calm down. We are on the way now. It won't be long." Marilla looked at her with wild eyes "Just breathe slow deep breaths." Before long, Marilla did feel better. "Thank you Anne. I'm all right now."

* * *

The tall gates of the asylum loomed over the driveway. Anne felt quite faint at the sight of them. She could almost feel the oppression upon her soul. She clutched Marilla's hand and whispered "don't leave me here."

Marilla glanced down at her and squeezed her hand back "I won't, I promise."

They got out of the cab at the front door and Marilla rang the doorbell, a deep chiming could be heard throughout the grounds. The door opened and an unpleasant aroma leaked out, a smell of unwashed bodies, overcooked cabbage and overall depression. Marilla tried to breathe through her mouth. "Yeah, what do ya want?" asked the ill-dressed girl at the door, "Are ya bringin' 'er back? Isn't she any good then?"

Marilla held onto poor Anne's hand even tighter, as Anne pressed to her side. She replied "No, we would like to speak to the Matron please."

"All right, this way. You can wait in here til I fetch 'er." The girl gestured towards a waiting room.

The room was small, dark and pokey. The sounds of the asylum could be heard all around: children shrieking, banging doors, and general hubbub. They waited a while until the Matron appeared. "What seems to be the matter? I don't want her back. Too much trouble, that one."

Marilla stood up and addressed this unpleasant woman "No, I'm not bringing Anne back here, but our boy Joe may have returned. I would like to see him please."

"Oh Joe, yes he returned yesterday, ungrateful wretch. I tried to do right by him and see where it got me. I'll fetch him for ya." She turned around and screeched at the top of her voice "Someone send Joe Franklin to me." They waited for about five minutes and saw Joe appear around the corner. Marilla stood up. Joe took one look at them and bolted in the opposite direction. "Shall I go after him Marilla?" Anne asked.

"Yes please."

Anne ran after Joe, she had a fair idea of the places he might end up. He wasn't in the washhouse, but he was in the bathhouse, hidden behind the water heater. He heard her footsteps and called, "Go away."

"Joe."

"No. I'm staying here."

"Joe, Marilla just wants to talk to you, please. She's really upset you left."

 _Silence_

"Joe, as soon as she saw you'd gone, she commanded Matthew to take us to the station, she didn't even hesitate one moment. She loves you Joe."

 _Muffled sob_

"You don't want to stay here Joe, it's as awful as I remembered it, worse maybe."

Joe's tear-streaked face appeared from behind the water heater. "It is."

"Just come and talk with her Joe."

Anne led Joe back to the receiving room where Marilla was waiting. Marilla stood up. Joe stood in front of her. The matron said "Finally. Joe, I want you to apologise to Miss Cuthbert for being so ungrateful. "

"I'm sorry." Joe said quietly.

Marilla looked at the Matron, "You may leave us now Mrs Black." Mrs Black was not used to being ordered about in her domain, but she did as Marilla asked; for she had a way about her that brooked no dispute.

Marilla shuddered, "ugh that woman…" and looked at Joe.

"I really am very sorry Marilla."

"Joe, there's nothing to apologise for, come and sit by me."

"I am though, I'm hopeless at home, I see poor Matthew after a day's work, he looks exhausted and I can't, I can't, I can't…" He broke down in tears. Marilla saw his distress and pulled his sobbing body in for a hug.

"So you can't help Matthew at harvest, Joe. We can work around that. You help him in many ways Joe. He says he loves having you around, he loves to hear you whistling all day long, you make the day pass much faster. And anyway you're more to us than just a pair of hands. You're our son now Joe, we couldn't imagine life without you." The boy sobbed on her shoulder until slowly his sobs turned to hiccups and eventually stopped altogether. Marilla pulled out her handkerchief and held it out to him. He blew his nose on it heartily and tried to hand it back. Marilla waved back at him, to let him know he could keep it.

"Joe, go and fetch your belongings, we're taking you home."

"But Mrs Black…"

"I'll sort out Mrs Black. From what I've seen of it, this place isn't fit to raise pigs. I couldn't leave you here Joe."

Three quarters of the Cuthbert family walked out of Hopeless Asylum with their heads held high. No Cuthbert would ever cross its threshold again.

* * *

Back at the port they had a few hours to fill before their ferry left. Marilla took them to a café for lunch and afterwards they looked at the shops. Joe lingered over a fiddle at a pawnbroker's. He loved music and though he didn't know how to play it, thought he could learn easily enough. Anne tapped Marilla on the shoulder and pointed at Joe. "Look Marilla, he'd love that fiddle, he'd never ask you for it though, he's too humble."

Marilla walked up to the pawnbroker and enquired as to the price. She didn't know anything about the instrument or what constituted a good price, but she bought it all the same. She walked over to Joe and told him it was his. He looked up at her, his eyes shining "for real?"

"Yes, but mind you'll have to practice it and play it for us every night now."

"Oh Marilla, I surely will." He caressed the instrument and then watched as the pawnbroker placed it in a case, he threw in some sheet music and an instruction book for free.

* * *

Matthew was delighted to see his entire family return the next day. He had spent a lonely night alone in the quiet house.

That night as Joe attempted to make the fiddle sound less like a tortured cat and more like the sort of thing you could dance to; Marilla spoke to Matthew about their experience. "Matthew, the children call that place Hopeless and I can see why. It was horrible. I'm just so happy we could rescue the two of them. I'd have every child here if we could."

Matthew laughed, "Don't let Rachel Lynde hear you. She'd think you've gone stark raving mad, Marilla."


	6. Chapter 6 A Fishing Trip

A Fishing Trip

Over dinner one night, Matthew announced that he planned to go to town to run some errands the next day. "Perhaps you children would like to accompany him." Marilla suggested. A chance to go to town? Anne was excited, but Joe was slightly apprehensive, his knowledge of towns was limited.

The cock woke them up as usual. Joe smiled whenever he heard it, recalling his initial confusion. Where once he had been worried by it, he now recognised it like an old friend. He wished it could sleep in for an extra half hour though. Still Marilla always had a hearty breakfast for him and that was something to look forward to. She believed in fortification for the day ahead. Joe was always happy to oblige her by eating his fill.

* * *

Marilla closed the gate behind the buggy and waved at them as they drove up the road towards town. The journey was pleasant, Anne chatted inconsequentially about the scenery and whatever else came into her mind. She did love to talk, Joe admired that in her, but sometimes he could enjoy silences as well. The good thing about Anne though, was that she was quite happy to chat away without any input from the people around her. Matthew and Joe could just tune out and let her prattle away and both men did just that.

The town was bustling, street urchins ran about in bare feet. The road was dusty after a long summer. Street hawkers plied their trade, calling out to potential customers "Eels, buy your spitched eels here!" The paper boys called out "Local man is tried for theft!" There was a boy cleaning shoes and young women hanging around laneway corners. Joe didn't like to think what they were doing there.

Matthew drew the buggy up by the General Store. "I'm going to buy some farm equipment here, you're welcome to join me, or you can go exploring, whatever you like."

"Let's explore a bit. It's not often I get to see new places." Joe was shy, but he felt emboldened with Anne by his side. "I'll see you back here in an hour then." Matthew suggested.

Main street was not long, but the children spent a good ten minutes investigating each store front. Anne liked the dress shops. She was particularly attracted to the puffy sleeves of the dresses in the window of the dress shop. "Marilla refuses to make me a dress like that. I'm sure she could if she wanted to. I don't know what she has against them?" Joe did think they looked pretty, most of the ladies he could see were dressed in far nicer clothes than Anne. Joe wasn't particularly interested in anything on offer, but he was happy to spend time in Anne's company. She had a knack of turning any dull afternoon into an adventure.

They walked back to the carriage after they had exhausted all that the little town had to offer. Matthew was sitting up in the buggy. "I'm sorry we're late, Matthew." Joe apologised.

"It's no matter, I got my errands completed sooner than expected is all. Look there's Fred Wright and his father. I'll introduce you, Fred will be going to the same school as you both." Matthew called out to the Wrights. "I'd like to introduce our new charges, Anne Shirley and Joe Franklin. They'll be going to school with young Fred."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Said Robert Wright kindly.

"I'm going fishing tomorrow." Fred announced, "Would you like to join me, Joe?"

"May I, Matthew?"

"Of course, that sounds perfect."

"Wonderful, I'll come by around 2.00pm then. Do you have any gear?"

"No, can you lend him some?" Matthew replied. anticipating Joe's next question.

"Sure, I'll bring them along tomorrow."

At dinner that night, Marilla and Matthew filled Joe in on what little they knew about the Wright family. "They're new to Avonlea, Joe. Mr Wright is a farmer too. They have two children. Fred's sister is older, she's moved to Charlottetown. Fred will be at school with you both."

* * *

The next afternoon there was a knock on the door. Marilla opened it to see a well laden Fred Wright standing there. He had two fishing rods, a net and a bucket for any fish they might catch. "Good afternoon Fred, I don't believe we've been formally introduced, I am Miss Cuthbert."

"Good afternoon Miss Cuthbert, is Joe in? I hoped he could come fishing with me."

"Just wait here a minute, I'll fetch him."

Marilla walked back into the house and called out to Joe, "Fred is here to take you fishing."

Joe appeared out of his room and walked over to greet Fred. "Great, let's go."

"I have a picnic for you boys to take. I expect you'll be bringing dinner home for us." Marilla announced as she placed the picnic basket in Joe's hands. Joe took the basket and a fishing rod, hoping he could oblige Marilla and Fred carried the rest. It was a short walk to the pond. Neither boy spoke much on the way. They sat down on the dock and Fred showed Joe how to bait his hook and cast it into the water. "Now we wait."

"Do you think Marilla was serious? What if I don't catch anything?"

"Nah, she'll know fishing is a matter of luck rather than skill."

They settled in for a spell. "Dad said you were an orphan."

"Yes, I was only six months old when my parents were killed."

"Where did you live after that?"

"At the Hopetown Asylum, we christened it Hopeless, that might give you an idea about it."

"Oh."

"I don't want to go into details about it, I want to put it all behind me, but I will say that until I came to live at Green Gables, I never, and I mean never, ate my fill of anything. I always left the table hungry."

Fred's jaw slowly dropped open. His parents weren't rich by any means, but he always got enough to eat.

"Did you go to school here last year? Do you know anyone who'll be there?" Joe enquired. A bit of foreknowledge could prove useful.

"Yes, we arrived here at the beginning of the year, so I met everyone. There's Moody Sturgeon, Billy Andrews, Charlie Sloane. Gilbert Blythe has been away, but they all seem to like him too. I think they're eagerly anticipating his return. Hey! Look your lines twitching, I think you've hooked something."

Fred showed Joe how to land the fish and soon enough there was a large lake trout splashing around in the bucket. Fred whistled, "That's a nice fish. Miss Cuthbert will be impressed, that's your dinner swimming there. I'm a bit hot after all that, must be time for a swim."

"Um, I can't swim." Joe admitted.

"Oh. Well you can paddle at the edge. I can teach you."

"I never had the opportunity to learn."

"That's all right, but you're living on an island now, you've gotta be able to swim."

Fred stripped off his clothes and jumped in, the water felt deliciously cool after the heat of his fish catching exertions. "C'mon. It's beautiful in here." Joe hovered, he'd never been naked in front of anyone here in Avonlea and he was wary of the water. What if he got in over his head? It would be terrible if he drowned before he got to present Marilla with his fish. "C'mon, don't be scared. I'll look after you." Fred encouraged him.

Joe shyly took off his clothes and tentatively tip toed into the water. It was freezing. "It'll take for ever if you go in that way. Here" Fred splashed at him. "Ya gotta jump, get it over with." But Joe took his time walking into the unfamiliar environment. It was cold, and the mud on the bottom felt squishy on his feet. It was a strange sensation, but not completely unpleasant either. "Hey, stop splashing, I'm getting in." Fred ceased his splashes for a moment but couldn't resist one more go at it. He grinned at his tentative friend. Eventually Joe was waist deep in the water and there he stopped. "Is that it, is that as far as you're going?" Fred lunged backwards into the water and disappeared underneath, emerging in a sudden spray of water a moment later. Joe was transfixed, that looked like fun. He stood with his feet sinking into the mud and his arms crossed in front of his chest, out of the cold water.

"So, Franklin, tell me about Anne? What's she like?"

"She's the reason I'm here."

"How come?"

Joe explained how she had arrived by mistake, how the Cuthberts had asked her to recommend a boy and how she had chosen him. "So you see, I'm pretty grateful to her, she got me out of Hopeless. She's really kind and funny. She has an amazing imagination and uses big words all the time. Half the time no one knows what she's saying."

"Do you like living in Avonlea?"

"Are you kidding? It's like paradise compared with the asylum. I can't believe how lucky I am."

"Right, I'm getting a bit chilly here, if you're not going in any further, we may as well have that afternoon tea Miss Cuthbert provided, can she bake?"

Joe felt a bit protective of Marilla's baking prowess and retorted "She sure can, her plum puffs are delicious." The boys got dressed again enjoying the sensation of their sun warmed clothes on their cool, damp bodies. They sat down on the dock again and opened the picnic basket. Marilla had provided a delicious selection and Joe was pleased to see how much Fred enjoyed it all. "Mmmf these are amazing" he said around a plum puff. "How many did she give us?"

"There should be plenty, even for a guts like you, Wright." Joe prodded Fred in the stomach and Fred choked on his pastry. "Oi, that's enough from you young Franklin." The boys mock wrestled for a few minutes.

"I s'pose it's time we got that fish back to its rightful owner, we should gut it first though. I suppose you've never had a chance to do that either?"

Joe hadn't, he watched on in semi horror as Fred killed the fish, gutted it and hung it on a stick they found nearby. They packed up the picnic basket, collected their belongings and made their way back home.

Fred delivered Joe back to the Green Gables gate and said "Thanks for a fun afternoon, Franklin. See you at school next week."

Marilla was delighted with Joe's catch. "I never expected you to catch our dinner for us Joe. This looks delicious. Well done."

Anne arrived home, she too had made a new chum or bosom friend as she termed it. She had spent the afternoon with Diana Barry. The two of them had plenty of news to share about their newfound friends with Matthew and Marilla that night over the baked fish Marilla prepared. Joe had never eaten fresh fish before and found it delicious. He'd have to go fishing again, he hoped it wasn't just beginners luck.

Marilla commented that school was starting next week and Anne reminded her that there was a Sunday school picnic on before that. "Diana says they're going to serve ice cream, I've never had ice cream and I'm sure Joe hasn't either, have you Joe?" Joe shook his head, there had been no ice cream in his life. "May we go Marilla?"

"Of course you can both go, you can meet some of your school friends there and of course enjoy some iced confectionery." Marilla stated magnanimously.


	7. Chapter 7 I Scream You Scream

**I** **scream** , **You** **Scream**

It was day of the Sunday School picnic. Anne had been praying for a sunny warm day and so it proved to be. As she had confided to Joe the night before, a wet day would have proved very disappointing. Joe and Anne got dressed in their nicest clothes and waited impatiently for Matthew and Marilla to get ready. Marilla was wearing her favourite amethyst brooch, which Anne admired, telling her diamonds had disappointed her when she first saw one.

The picnic was held at the Barry's farm. It seemed the entire population of Avonlea were in attendance, all dressed up to the nines. Anne ran to embrace Diana and Joe shook hands with Fred. There were sack races, egg and spoon races, a band playing jaunty tunes for folk to dance to, best of all there was ice-cream to sample. Anne and Joe giggled when they tasted their first spoonful. "Anne, this stuff is amazing, I never knew anything so nice could exist in the world."

Anne grinned back "Oh, I'm in raptures." Marilla smiled at their exuberance, pleased to see their unadulterated joy.

* * *

The school year started the following Monday. Marilla had enrolled Anne and Joe. They nervously dressed on the first morning while Marilla prepared breakfast and packed them both a lunch. Joe looked smart in his clean shorts and shirt and Anne in her grey dress. They were both a bit worried at entering this new domain, but at least they had each other for company. Anne was excited at starting, she had had a mixed education so far. Joe had been to the asylum school for most of his life, but the quality of education had been poor at best. The pay for asylum teachers was low, and as a result the teaching had been patchy. Nevertheless, Joe was slightly ahead of Anne, as a result of spending more time in school over the course of his life.

The Avonlea teacher, Mr Philips was an unusual man. They had been warned about him and he certainly fawned over Prissy Andrews more than he taught the class. Anne was assigned to the second reader and Joe to the third. After lunch, Mr Philips was intoning boringly whilst looking at the black board. A boy Fred had mentioned to Joe and who Diana had pointed out to Anne at the picnic, Gilbert Blythe, was desperate to make Anne's acquaintance. He crept over to Anne's desk, pulled her plait and whispered "Carrots!". Anne was indignant, she stood up abruptly and smashed her slate over his head. The class had been watching this play out ever since Gilbert had stood up, but when the slate loudly connected loudly with Gilbert's head Mr Philips looked around to see Gilbert holding his head and Anne holding what was left of her slate. "Anne Shirley, get over here. Is this how orphans behave? I will have you know that this is not how we behave in a civilised society." Anne was fuming. She was forced to stand by Mr Philips for the remainder of the afternoon as punishment.

When school was let out at the end of the day, Joe was furious on Anne's behalf. He followed the crowd out of the school and caught up with the other boys. He tapped Gilbert on the shoulder and when he turned around punched him as hard as he could. Gilbert was stunned, but soon recovered and hit the younger boy back a couple of times, until the others pulled him off. "Stay down you idiot. Or I'll punch you harder next time" he growled. Joe was scrambling to get another go at him, but Gilbert walked away. He'd proven his point. "What was with that kid anyway?" he asked Fred.

Fred explained "That's Joe Franklin, he lives with the Cuthberts now. They've adopted two orphans. Your Carrots girl, Anne, and him. Franklin owes Anne, if it weren't for her he'd still be languishing in the orphan asylum."

"What d'ya mean?"

"Well the Cuthberts got a girl by mistake, so they asked Anne to recommend a boy to come as well and she chose Franklin. So he's going to be forever grateful to her, see. So just bear that in mind, if you take her on, you'll be confronted with him as well. Every time."

Joe caught up with Anne, his left eye was already closing and a black eye was forming. "Oh Marilla's going to love that eye of yours Joe."

Joe grinned. "I did it for you, Anne. That boy had no right to say that to you."

Anne hugged him, carefully avoiding his left eye. "Thank you for standing up for me Joe. Hopefully he will think twice before he takes on the Cuthberts again, huh?"

Marilla was dismayed to see a bloodied Joe walk into the house. "Joe Franklin, what have you done? Your first day of school and you've been fighting already?" Joe squinted at her through his one good eye, his left eyelid was already swollen shut and a dark purple bruise was forming over his eye socket.

"Sorry Marilla, it was ... necessary."

"Violence is never necessary, Joe..." She was about to chastise him when Matthew piped up.

"Leave him alone, Marilla." She looked at him. "Just leave it." She was silent while she handed Joe a damp cloth with which to clean himself.

* * *

Joe woke up the next morning expecting his breakfast would be ready as usual. Much to his surprise Marilla was nowhere to be seen. He asked Matthew about it while they were milking. "She'll be suffering with one of her sick headaches. She gets them from time to time."

"Shall I take her anything? A cup of tea perhaps?

"That's kind of you to offer Joe, but no. She can't keep anything down when they're at the worst. We'd best leave her alone. I'll pop into see her, just to check she's all right."

The three of them had to fend for themselves. Matthew explained that they had to keep the house quiet, Marilla's headache would mean that she was extremely sensitive to sound. The next morning Marilla was still nowhere to be seen. Matthew came down the stairs quietly "She's slightly better, but she's still sensitive to light and sound. She should be better in a day or so."

"Can I go see her?"

"No, it's really best to leave her alone right now."

Joe had to check for himself, he crept into Marilla's room quietly. Marilla was asleep in the dark room. Joe hated to see his adoptive mother ill. Marilla could feel another presence in the room, could hear him breathing. She cautiously opened one eyelid and saw Joe sitting on a chair. "Joe" she whispered.

He looked at her, relief flooding his face. "Marilla, can I bring you anything?"

Imperceptibly she shook her head "No, off you go, you can check on me later. I just need to sleep." she whispered. Joe tip-toed out of the room. He was worried about her. Matthew saw him coming down the stairs. "Will she be all right, Matthew?"

"Have you been in there?"

"Yes."

"Yes, she will be all right, we just have to leave her be for a few days. She'll be up and about soon. There really is nothing we can do for her, except leave her alone. It seems harsh, I know. But she finds communication painful."

After a couple of days, Marilla made an appearance. She called down to Matthew that she was feeling hungry. Matthew warmed up a bowl of soup and sent Joe up with it. Joe sat on the end of the bed and handed it over to Marilla, happy to be able to help at last. "I should be all right tomorrow." She reassured him.

The next morning when Joe got up, he could hear Marilla's footsteps stomping around the kitchen. "You're up late Joe, get a move on. Anne, come on it's time for breakfast. You two will be late for school." Joe was mystified, where had his kind Marilla disappeared to? They asked Matthew about it as they passed the barn on the way to school. "She's always like that after a headache. She's not feeling completely well. Marilla hates to show that she's vulnerable. She's angry at herself, not at you. She'll be back to her normal self soon, I promise.

* * *

That night Joe played a song he'd been practising on the fiddle, Old Joe Clark. He liked the name of course, but it was also a jaunty tune. The family sat around the kitchen table clapping in time with the music.

"You're really picking this up now Joe. Would you like to play at dances and parties?"

"Yes, I would, I spoke to some of the musicians at the Sunday School picnic, Marilla. They said they'd be happy to have me join them sometime." If he couldn't help at harvest, maybe he'd be able to augment the family finances with his music one day.


	8. Chapter 8 An Apology

A/N I made a bit of a boo boo and find that this overlaps the previous story. If you can excuse me dear readers, this is what comes of not planning your story properly.

 **An Apology**

"Just run it by me again Gilbert."

"I wanted to attract her attention, so I pulled her braid and called her Carrots."

"And why do you think that was appropriate?" Mary Blythe demanded to know.

"I thought it would be funny" Gilbert muttered.

"So, let me get this straight. You met a new girl at school today, someone who might have been feeling insecure about her new surroundings. Instead of saying hello and welcoming her to the school, you decided it would be fun to tease her about her hair and pull it, am I right?"

Gilbert couldn't look his mother in the eye. His plan had sounded good fun, a great way to break the boredom of a school afternoon, but now he was nursing a sore head, a split lip and his mother was furious. What had started out so well, was quickly turning into a nightmare. "I'm sorry Ma, it was a stupid idea."

"I'll say, it was stupid and mean too. That poor girl. I believe she and her brother are new to the community, that's quite the welcome mat you put out. How did you get that lip?"

"Her brother punched me."

"What did you do to him?"

"Well, I punched him back."

"How many times?"

"Just the two, the others pulled me off."

"And how old is he?"

"I dunno, twelve maybe?"

"You're fourteen Gilbert, probably far bigger than he, is that right?"

"Yes."

"Right young man, after dinner we are going over to Green Gables to apologise."

"Awww Ma."

"Don't you aw Ma me, young man. I've never been so disappointed in your behaviour."

* * *

After Joe had practised his new tune on the fiddle, Marilla remembered that she needed to measure his new clothes. The combination of age and plenty of food meant that he was shooting up and out. Every couple of months he needed new clothes and Marilla was hard pressed to keep up with him. Joe was standing in his new clothes which Marilla was pinning up to make the final measurements, when they heard a knock at the door. Marilla was so startled she nearly swallowed her pins, but she managed to spit instead of inhale. She looked up at Joe and across to Matthew as if to ask who it could be at this hour. Bidding him to stay where he was, she strode over to the front door.

Marilla was shocked to see Mrs Blythe and young Gilbert standing on her doorstep. She hadn't seen Gilbert for a couple of years and it nearly took her breath away to see him now. He looked so like his father at that age. Gathering her wits, she said "Good evening, how can I help you folks?"

"Miss Cuthbert, Gilbert here would like to apologise to your charges. I believe he's behaved quite appallingly at school today."

"I'm sorry to hear that Mrs Blythe. Won't you come in, Joe is just here trying on some new clothes. How do you keep up with these growing boys?" she commented in the spirit of motherly comradeship.

The boys glowered at each other. Since it was her house, Marilla said "Shall I make the introductions? Joe Franklin and Anne Shirley, this is Gilbert Blythe, I believe you may have met at school today, and this is Gilbert's mother Mrs Blythe."

The children all muttered greetings at each other. It was plain to see they were not friendly. The two women looked awkwardly at each other. Mary Blythe nudged Gilbert. "Gilbert has something he would like to say to the both of you."

"I'm sorry I pulled your hair at school today, Anne and called you c … a name. I don't know what I was thinking? I promise I won't do it ever again. And you Joe, I'm sorry I punched you, I'm bigger than you, I should have known better, even if…"

At that his mother poked him in the side. "There is no justification for beating up a smaller boy, Gilbert, so there is no need for an even if." Marilla looked on graciously and after a beat after which neither of her children responded, replied herself saying "It is very nice of you to apologise Gilbert. I'm sure Anne and Joe will be pleased to do the Christian thing and accept your apology. Isn't that right? She looked at them both pointedly.

"Yes, I accept your apology Gilbert"

"Yes, that's fine" both Anne and Joe muttered simultaneously. A less convincing acceptance was hard to imagine. The women assumed that this would have to do, although the apologies and forgiveness were far from satisfactory.

"Well thank you for your time, Miss Cuthbert, we'll be getting home, it's a school night and Gilbert still has some homework to finish." They said their goodbyes and left.

Marilla and Matthew raised their eyebrows at each other and looked at the children. "I think it's bedtime for you two too." Marilla commanded, "we will talk about this in the morning."

* * *

The next morning Joe and Anne got ready quickly and attempted to run out of the house without breakfast. They would have preferred to avoid Marilla, they knew she would be upset about the events of the previous night. Much to their surprise Marilla was nowhere to be seen. She should have been up cooking breakfast. Matthew informed them that she was suffering with a sick headache. As sorry as they were for her, the children were selfishly pleased to avoid a confrontation.

They bumped into Gilbert on the way to school. "Did you get bawled out last night?" Joe asked Gilbert with a grin.

"Sure did. My Ma is not very impressed with me, to put it mildly."

"Did ya get punished?"

"Yep, I'll be chopping wood forever, and I'm grounded for a month."

Joe whistled. He suspected the grounding would be the worst bit, Gilbert was probably a pretty popular boy. He almost felt sorry for him. Joe glanced at Anne. She was studiously looking away, she still looked furious.

"Right well we'll, um, we'll see you at school." Joe said nervously. He rather liked Blythe and thought he might be a good chum down the track, but he had to remain loyal to Anne. Maybe she wouldn't nurse her anger for too long.

Gilbert watched them walk off, reflecting how very bad his decision the previous day had been. He really liked the look of Anne. He thought she might be more interesting than the rest of the Avonlea girls, they were always simpering after him and it got so boring after a while. It had been fun to come back to school after a year away, but once he got there, he realised how small the community was. He had seen the prairies, seen some of the world. Avonlea seemed tiny and dull by comparison. This Anne girl came from somewhere else too, he had hoped she might be more interesting. But now he'd blown it and she may never speak to him. He could kick himself, but he was already in enough pain.

Anne and Joe arrived at school shortly before Gilbert. Anne greeted Diana and Joe sat down by himself at a desk. Fred came over to sit next to him. "Let's see that shiner, Joe? Oh, he got you a good one. What did they say at home?"

"Marilla was about to lay into me, but Matthew stopped her."

"The reaction would be the opposite at my house, my Dad would be upset, and my Mum would defend me; can you see out of the eye?"

"Not really. It's a bit odd, I keep bumping into things. I can't measure distance."

"It should go down in day or so, then you'll be able to see again." Fred reassured him.

"Mrs Blythe bought Gilbert around after dinner last night, it was pretty awkward. She made him apologise for his behaviour and then of course we had to forgive him. I don't think Anne was ready to do that though."

"Oh, that would be strange."

"Yes, there we all were standing in the kitchen pretending we were all friends. We met him on the way to school and Anne refused to acknowledge him."

"Do you think she'll take a while to settle down?" The boys glanced over to Anne who was chatting animatedly with the girls.

"She may do, she's pretty mad."

Mr Philips stood at the head of the classroom and bought them all to order. No one could really concentrate on their lessons that day though, they were constantly glancing at Anne and Gilbert. Would the new redhead do something as spectacular as she had yesterday? Maybe school would be more interesting with these two around?


	9. Chapter 9 Clowning Around

**Clowning Around**

Roll Up! Roll Up! Come and see death defying acts of marvel and prowess. Roll up! Roll up! See ferocious lions tamed by one brave man. See magnificent elephants performing miraculous tricks. Watch our wonderful clowns perform all manner of hilarious tricks. Roll up! Roll up! Gasp in horror at the death defying feats of our trapeze artists. Come one, Come all. See Carmody's finest circus – Luigi Brothers.

The gang from school had piled into the Barry's wagon for the trip to Carmody to see the circus. Joe and Anne hadn't seen a circus before. The others had been, but only with their parents when they were young. This was the first time they had been on their own with friends, so it was a novel experience for all.

Mr Barry dropped them all off at the circus tent and they bought their tickets. Jostling around they eventually took their seats. Joe ended up sitting between Anne and Gilbert. Anne had wanted to be further away from her tormentor, but in the rush had ended up almost next to him. She shifted on her seat to be as far away as possible, hoping he would notice her disdain for him.

In her mind Joe was being insufferably friendly towards Gilbert. Anne was aggravated by his good nature sometimes. Joe knew the nature of her antagonism towards Gilbert, but he didn't seem to be able to ignore him on her behalf. When Joe laughed at Gilbert's jokes, Anne would kick or poke him. She hissed "Don't you laugh" but Joe just grinned at her and turned to listen to Gilbert again.

* * *

Joe for his part hated being the go-between. Despite fighting Gilbert the month prior, he found himself drawn to the older boy. He had never been the type to hold grudges. Joe found this ongoing détente frustrating and pointless. He had attempted to make Anne see sense, but so far had had no luck.

"Gilbert's really sorry he upset you Anne. Truly he only wanted to get to know you. He didn't know how sensitive you'd be about your hair."

"I am not sensitive about my hair, Joe. I'm just sick of being teased about it all the time."

"Um…" Joe wasn't sure when she put it like that, but weren't they the same thing? "Yes, but don't let that come between you and him forever Anne. If you just gave him another chance you'd see he's not a bad chap."

"No, I can never forgive him. He hurt me worse than I've ever been hurt before."

It was no use. Joe didn't know how to break through Anne's stubborn streak. He went to Matthew for advice. "Well Joe, I'm not much use when it comes to girls when all's said and done, I never had much to do with them when I was your age. I was too shy."

"Could you talk to her? I'm finding it really hard. I want to be Gilbert's friend. He's a really nice boy, but I don't want to aggravate Anne. I owe her so much."

Matthew talked it over with Marilla, but she was at a loss too. Neither of them had much experience in successful relationships with the opposite sex. Marilla had been just as stubborn as Anne at a slightly older age and had paid the price for it. "Maybe you could talk to her woman to woman, Marilla. Just give it a go." Matthew urged.

Marilla sat down with Anne one night while they were shelling peas. "I understand you and Gilbert Blythe are sparring."

"Did Joe tell you? I'm so exasperated by him. Can't he understand that Gilbert Blythe has wounded my soul?"

"Anne you don't have to be best friends with Gilbert, but this is a small community. Making an enemy of one popular boy might make things tricky for you both in the long run and I don't think it's fair of you to dictate to Joe who his friends can be."

Anne just swung her plaits and said nothing in response.

* * *

All that was between them when they sat down at the circus tent. Joe had initially been sympathetic to Anne's plight, but this had gone on too long and it was time to bury the hatchet. He refused to snub a potential friend to support his irrational sister, no matter how wonderful she had been.

Anne was stewing over this as the Ringmaster introduced the acts. The elephant came first, it was gaily decorated with a plume of feathers sprouting from a headdress, Joe had never seen anything quite like it. Behind the elephant trotted six small horses, they too were sprouting plumes of feathers from their headbands. A woman calmly stood on the back of two of the horses as they cantered around the ring. Next there were sweet little monkeys in little carriages pulled by dogs. The clowns came next, dressed in colourful clothes they capered about, performing cartwheels, walking on their hands and generally making a spectacle of themselves. The Avonlea children were clapping in time with the music, delighted with the spectacle and excited to see the show.

The Ring Master introduced the first act, the Lion Tamer. Truth be told he had more than lions to tame; there were also tigers and panthers. A big strong cage was lowered from the roof and the cats ran in direct from their cage. They ran up on to their mounts and hissed and roared at the tamer.

Anne found herself growing angrier as she watched them. They jumped through flaming hoops, jumped when the tamer directed them do so and roared at the crowd on demand. They were frightening, and Anne was relieved there were stout bars separating them from crowd. Ugh, That Boy was so close, she wished he were sitting far away from her. She could hear his gasps of horror at the big cats, what a baby.

Watching a massive elephant balancing was an incredible sight. All four of its enormous feet were balanced on a small stool. It raised its head and bellowed through its trunk. Upon getting down, a clown climbed up its leg and rode it around the ring and out the door.

Beautiful women riding horses came next. There were six horses and three riders. They cantered around the ring in perfect time. After one rotation the women hopped up to standing on their horses back. "Imagine doing that with Belle?" Joe whispered to Anne. Next the ladies straddled them, so that their feet were on two side-by-side horses. The horses never stopped or missed a stride. The crowd gasped as each lady slid down the flank of the outside horse and hung at right angles, with their arms outstretched. "I don't think so." Anne replied.

The trapeze artists were next. The crowd craned their heads to see them swing back and forth high up on the circus ceiling. They oohed and aahed as the scantily clad artists performed tricks on tiny swings and flew from one swing to the next or swung clutching each other's limbs. It was death defying, as it all happened way up in the air. One slip would mean certain death.

As she watched them swing back and forth, Anne found herself thinking about Gilbert, maybe he wasn't so bad? He could be quite funny when he wasn't being a total fool. Despite purporting to ignore him and pretending that she was loftier than he, she watched him out of the corner of her eyes. Everyone else hung on his every word, he was the clown of the class, but clever too. It was so confusing, she didn't want to like this boy, but he was so incredibly affable.

The clowns appeared next. They were so funny. They cavorted around, playing tricks on each other, one was playing a flute, badly and the others were sad or happy, depending on their make-up. The crowd laughed at their silly antics. One had a gun that shot confetti, one rode a unicycle in his oversized shoes. Yet another juggled first three balls, then four, then six then twelve, all in motion simultaneously. He performed various tricks, pretending to drop them, and then incorporating that into the act. Next, he lit some clubs on fire and juggled them, that looked really dangerous. One performed some magic tricks. Try as she might Anne couldn't figure out how he managed to make the lady hover above the table like that.

Anne could hear Gilbert chuckling, she couldn't help noticing that he had a nice infectious laugh, the sort that made everyone around him feel happy. By the time the monkeys came out riding their carriages, she had pretty much forgiven Gilbert. In fact, she couldn't really remember what she had been so annoyed about in the first place. So what if he had called her Carrots, that wasn't so bad was it? She figured she should forgive him, let bygones be bygones, though it wouldn't do to let him off too easily. She could play it out for a while yet, and then forgive him and enjoy his company like everyone else. He did look like fun to be around. It wouldn't do to miss out on his company forever.

* * *

When they were home at the end of the day, telling Matthew and Marilla all about the day, Anne mentioned that she had sat near Gilbert. Matthew stiffened up slightly "how did that go then?"

"Well it was a funny thing actually, as I watched I found myself drawn to him. Maybe he's not so bad after all. I'm not saying we're going to be best buddies, but I can maybe tolerate him. Joe," she said turning to her brother, "I've been pretty mean to you, I can't dictate who you befriend. It's not like there are loads of people around like there were in the asylum. You can be friends with him if you like."

Joe just smiled at her. It was a weight off his mind, he slept a lot easier that night knowing his friendship wasn't causing ructions at home. He was pleased Anne wasn't going to hold her grudge forever. He, Fred, Gilbert and the girls could have a lot of fun together. It was fun to imagine the sorts of antics they might get up to.


	10. Chapter 10 Swimming Lessons

_Thanks to anyone who's read or reviewed this story. I've never been a boy and I've never had boy children, so if I've got the details wrong feel free to set me straight._

 **Swimming Lessons**

Marilla stripped Joe's bed as was normal on a Monday morning and noticed a damp patch on his sheets. She bent down to sniff, no not urine. She stood up straight in shock. He was too young surely; and yet maybe not? Time for Matthew to have a little chat with Joe it appeared. This was not something she envisaged when she agreed to adopt a boy, but that was naïveté. Of course, this was always going to happen at some stage.

At lunch she informed Matthew "I found something on Joe's sheets this morning when I was stripping them for washing."

"Really? What?" answered a disinterested Matthew; wondering why she was telling him about laundry.

"A nocturnal emission."

That got his attention. "Are you sure?"

"Well, I think so? As you know my experience with it is negligible, but it wasn't urine and he is twelve years old, so I think it must have been."

"Wet dreams already", mused Matthew.

"Time for you to be the parent Matthew."

Matthew blushed, "Couldn't…?"

"No, I couldn't Matthew. For one thing, I know next to nothing about being a twelve year old boy and for another thing, I think it would embarrass him beyond belief if I broached the subject. Why he'd sprint back to Hopeless as fast as his legs could take him."

"I suppose so." Matthew replied reluctantly.

* * *

After school that day Joe was working in the barn as usual, mucking out the cow stalls when Matthew cleared his throat nearby.

"Oh good afternoon Matthew." Joe greeted him.

"Joe, ahem, Joe um, let's sit down for a moment."

"Sure Matthew, what do you want?"

Matthew sat down opposite him. He fiddled with his cap for a few minutes while Joe waited, mystified. Matthew cleared his throat one more time and blurted out "Have you found the sheets wet when you wake up some mornings Joe?"

Joe was embarrassed because he had noticed just that thing that morning. He'd had a sudden flash of a memory of standing next to his damp bed in the asylum, being thrashed by one of the older kids, having wet his bed again. "How did you know? I should have washed them. I haven't wet the bed since I was little. I'm sorry Matthew. Was Marilla angry?"

"No, you didn't wet the bed like that Joe. You're growing up. What you had was a nocturnal emission."

Joe's face blushed red and he stammered out "A noc-c-t-t-turnal e-e-e-mission? What's that?"

"Well, when boys are going through puberty, things start to wake up inside, I guess. Your body's getting ready to be a man. You've probably noticed hair in places it wasn't before. We've noticed your voice cracking at times and now your privates are getting ready too, you ejaculated in your sleep. It's all perfectly natural Joe. I went through it many years ago myself."

"Oh."

"Yes, so you're not in any trouble. Maybe just strip your sheets when it happens. Marilla will wash them like normal."

"It's embarrassing."

"It's just part of growing up."

"Do girls have to deal with stuff too?"

"Actually it's worse for them."

"Worse?"

"Yes, I don't know much about it, but they get stomach cramps, mood swings and they bleed once a month."

"Bleed? Real blood?"

Matthew smiled at him, "Yes real blood. So, consider yourself lucky you're a boy."

* * *

One lazy warm fall Saturday afternoon shortly after this conversation the boys from school called for Joe. "Hey! Franklin we're going swimming, want to join us?"

Joe explained that he couldn't swim, but the boys were not perturbed. "We can teach you. This might the last chance we get for a swim before the cold weather sets in."

The swimming hole abutted Barry's Pond, it was a nice secluded pool, with patches of sunlight and shade. Someone long ago had attached a big rope to a branch of a tree on the bank. It was a point of honour for the boys to see how far they could swing and how big a splash they could make as they dropped in.

Once they arrived, the boys all stripped off and the others lined up for the rope. Not surprisingly as he was the oldest and largest, Gilbert created the biggest splash. Everyone cheered as he bombed in the water.

Joe stood on the bank, his hands clasped over himself, feeling self-conscious. He wasn't about to use the swing, but it did look like fun.

Once he surfaced, Gilbert glanced over at Joe. "Oh yes, right, we have to teach you to swim young Franklin. Come down to the water here, and just walk in. It's colder, but I guess you won't be entering the water the way I just did?" Joe shook his head.

Gilbert lazily swam over to where Joe was standing. "Okay, just keep walking out. There's a bit of a drop just over here." Joe hesitated, "You're fine. I've got you. Now, lift your feet off the bottom and swish your arms and legs about, that'll keep you up. All you have to do is keep your head above water. Don't panic, I won't let you drown." The others were watching as Gilbert guided Joe. They all swam over to offer encouragement. "Look Joe, I'm doing it too." Fred trod water by way of example. Soon all the boys were treading water together. Joe felt increasingly comfortable and the movement kept him warm in the cold water.

After a while Moody asked a question of the group, "Has anyone, um, had a wet dream?"

Gilbert, Fred and Charlie all nodded. Gilbert replied, "Oh yeah, I have them all the time."

Joe was mystified, he'd never heard of a wet dream. "What's that?"

As the oldest one there, Gilbert felt he had to provide the voice of experience "Oh you know, it's when you ejaculate in your sleep and wake up wet."

"Oh, Matthew calls them nocturnal emissions. A wet dream makes more sense. I feel like such a fool when I have to give Marilla my damp sheets."

The boys giggled in collegiate embarrassment "Oh yeah, that must be tough, I have to give my sheets to my mother, must be hard giving your sheets to _Miss Cuthbert_." Fred remarked.

Joe replied, "Marilla's all right. She never comments, I just hand them over and she gives me fresh sheets to remake my bed."

"How often do you have them, do you reckon?" Moody was curious.

"Most nights, I'd say. I never know until I wake up though." Joe confessed. He had been quite self-conscious about them, but knowing the other boys were doing it too made him feel much happier.

"Yeah me too." Moody admitted.

* * *

Collectively the boys decided that it was time to get out of the water, they all lay on the grassy bank drying in the sunlight.

"Say Franklin, I'm really sorry I upset Anne that time. What do you think I can do to make her forgive me?"

"Gee, I dunno Blythe. She seems really set against you. She didn't even want me to talk to you at first."

"Well as I recall you didn't, except you did communicate with your fists."

Joe grinned at him, "Yeah, well I got my message across, didn't I?"

Gilbert aimed a mock punch at him and they tussled briefly. "But this isn't helping the Anne situation. I need someone to put in a good word for me" he added when they had settled down.

"Actually, I have tried Blythe. But she's adamant that you're too annoying to be considered a chum. You need some romantic gesture to force her hand. I can't think what though."

"Ouf, I'm getting cold boys, what say we go home? My mother will give us afternoon tea if we ask nicely." Gilbert offered, generous with his mother's largess. The boys quickly dressed, enjoying the sensation of their sun warmed clothes on their cold bare bodies. They ran, chiacking as boys will, to the Blythe house to enjoy a much deserved afternoon tea.


	11. Chapter 11 For Those in Peril

**For Those in Peril**

Marilla was mopping the floor, making the most of the warm day. There was a knock at the door, "Oh bother", she muttered to herself. "Who is it?" she called out.

"It's just me, Marilla." The familiar voice of Rachel replied.

"Can you just sit outside a spell? I'm cleaning the floor. I'll bring some tea out presently." Marilla hastily finished off and set the tea to draw. "Hello Rachel, how nice to see you." she said as she carried the tea tray outside. "Hope you don't mind having it out here. I want the floor to dry."

After the usual pleasantries, Rachel asked, "So, Marilla, how are you finding motherhood?"

"Well they've certainly bought the old house to life. There's never a dull moment with Anne and Joe around."

"What's the latest?"

"Well I probably shouldn't say this, it's a bit personal, but it seems young Joe is reaching puberty."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up. "Oh!"

"Yes, the laundry has increased exponentially."

Rachel laughed, "Oh yes, I do recall, it's not so bad at this time of year, but not so much fun in January. It should settle down soon. Any movement in that direction from Anne?"

"No, she's still a way's off I reckon." Both women paused reflecting on that miserable time, and thinking how happy they were that it was over.

"So how did you manage the talk with Joe?" Rachel enquired.

"I delegated that conversation to Matthew."

"Good idea."

"Yes, I didn't think he needed to hear it from me, and anyway what do I know about it?"

"Some say it's a sin, all that wastage."

"It's not his fault. Matthew says he's asleep when it's happening." They sat for a while, looking out on the spotless yard. The horses gently grazing in the field. It was a lovely fall day; with the leaves just turning.

"I always love this time of year, the last warm days before the bitter cold of winter and the beauty all around from the turning leaves." Marilla remarked.

"That must be Anne's influence upon you Marilla. I don't think you would have said that twelve months ago."

"Maybe so." Marilla agreed. "Motherhood seems to be changing me."

"Yes, it's an adjustment isn't it. At least I had mine as babies and we grew up together, but you've got two older ones together, a job lot as it were."

"That's not very Christian Rachel. They're such different people. Anne is such a romantic, always looking for the beauty all around her and sharing it with us. Joe is far more serious, but delightful in his own way. He's really improving with his fiddle playing."

Rachel was pleased for the Cuthberts, they were due a bit of joy in their lives.

* * *

Mr Philips had organized for the class to go on a field trip. It wasn't often that he took them out of the classroom, but the beach was such an excellent location for a science field trip that he couldn't resist it.

It was a beautiful sparkling day. Silvery gulls were soaring over them. The horizons were laced with long trails of frail clouds. The hushed air was threaded with a murmurous refrain of minstrel winds and waves. The wind was offshore and only broke the sea's surface into long, silvery ripples and sent sheeny shadows flying out across it, from every point and headland, like transparent wings.*

In his usual pompous manner Mr Philips told the class they could enjoy the land sea interface,** but they had already run off by that point and the moment was lost. Mr Philips should have been checking on his pupils' work, but instead he led Prissy up to the sand dunes to undertake some special research.

The scholars broke up into twosomes. Naturally Anne paired off with Diana. They had decided to investigate the rock pools. Wandering out to the reef, they could see the rest of the class spread out across the beach looking like little ants they were so far away. The heat shimmered, and the girls longed to go for a swim, but of course that was forbidden. Not only were they there to work, being girls, there was no way they would be allowed to strip off. "Oh, I wish I were a boy" Diana sighed.

"Really? A boy? I don't." A puzzled Anne replied.

"Well at least then we could go for a swim."

"Let's take our stockings and shoes off, and paddle at least." Anne suggested.

The girls did just that, it was probably forbidden too, but the water was so inviting. They wandered around in the cool water, hitching their skirts up their waists, enjoying the waves splashing further and further up their legs. "I suppose we should be working. Where shall we investigate?" Diana pondered.

"There's some rock pools over there" Anne pointed out a reef about fifty yards away. "Shall we see if anything's living in them?" The girls waded through the shallow water.

Once you look into a rock pool you can see whole worlds within. Naturally Anne got quite carried away; here was a whole new vista of imagination for her to lose herself within. "Look that fish is the prince, and he lives in that castle there, the mermaid visits him… "

Diana reminded her that there was plenty to do without inventing stories to match the surrounds. "We should collect some of those little fishes. Oh bother, we left our buckets and nets back up the beach. Shall I go and fetch them?"

"Yes, would you please? That would be wonderful, then we can examine them at our leisure." Diana stood up straight and ran back through the water to the beach, leaving Anne still crouched down, mapping out the worlds below.

Once she collected their buckets and nets, Diana noticed two things. The first was that the reef was further from the beach than she had thought and the second was that the tide had turned.

Diana could see Anne stranded out on the reef looking very distant now. "Oh Anne" she called out, "Anne". Anne was oblivious still with her head down looking into her rockpool world. Diana cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled as loudly as she could "Anne Shirley look up!"

Anne heard a distant cry, was that Di? She looked up and her eyes raked the distant shore, still mindless of the impending danger. Diana could see Anne stand up and look towards her, she called "Anne! Look! The water!"

Anne heard "k oughta" what was Di talking about? She looked towards her and yelled "What?"

"Water, look at the water, it's rising."

Suddenly it dawned on Anne, her little reefy island had shrunk. The water around it was deeper and she didn't think she could easily make it back to land. The beach looked further away too. While she had been daydreaming about castles under water, the tide had turned. "Diana, Help! I'm stranded."

Diana had already worked that out. She was safe, but her bosom friend was in real danger. She looked around wildly. They had turned the corner of the point and the rest of the class was nowhere in sight. She called out "Help! Help, please Help!" But her voice just bounced around in the sunlight and she doubted anyone could hear her. Over on the dwindling outcrop, Anne was jumping up and down and waving her arms. Diana could just make out her calls for help. There was nothing for it, Diana would have to leave her to find someone who could assist. She gesticulated as such to Anne and ran up the beach towards the point and the rest of the class, leaving Anne on her own.

Anne felt terribly foolish as she watched Di run off. She had forgotten the cardinal rule about rock pooling, always keep an eye on the tide. Marilla had drummed it into her before they came away for the day. Once again, her daydreaming had gotten her into trouble. She recalled the last time that had happened. She'd been tasked with cooking the Hammond's dinner and had gotten lost in a marvellous daydream, a thing she did often to escape the mindless drudgery of her sordid life. That day it had been a dream about Princess Cordelia. She had been whipped for burning the dinner and sent to bed in the barn without anything to eat. Now her dreams about watery palaces had landed her in more danger than ever before. Anne berated herself, would she never learn?

Diana ran around the point, barely looking where she was going in her haste. When all of a sudden, she bumped, quite literally into Gilbert Blythe. "Oof, where are you running off to in such a hurry Diana?"

"Gilbert, oh you have to help. It's Anne, she's stranded out on a rock." Diana turned and pointed to the distant Anne, jumping up and down and waving on the shrinking outcrop.

Gilbert's eyes followed the direction of Diana's outstretched finger. The sight of the obviously distressed Anne shocked him. "Oh shit."

"Can you help her Gilbert? You have to rescue her. She's going to drown."

Gilbert stripped off his shoes and socks and quickly ran into the surf, taking big strides through the water. It was slightly too deep to walk through easily, but not yet deep enough for swimming. He didn't think about how he'd get Anne back to shore, he just had to get out to her.

Diana for her part was pacing up and down the shore biting her nails, anxiously watching Gilbert race out to Anne.

It took a few minutes, he was swimming at the end, but Gilbert did get out to the island to find Anne standing on the last remnant of semi-dry land, though even that was mostly under water. Gilbert clambered up onto the island, needing a quick breather.

"Hello Anne, nice day for it. Are you having fun yet?"

"Don't tease me, Gilbert. I'm really frightened."

"How shall we do this? Can you swim?"

"Not really, I mean, I probably, oh, I don't know."

"Well no time like the present for a swimming lesson." Gilbert jumped in the water and encouraged Anne to jump in. "I'll catch you, don't worry."

Anne looked at him in horror, but the waves were breaking over the outcrop and the island was fast disappearing. She didn't have much time to make up her mind. Placing her life in his hands, Anne took a big breath and jumped down. She submerged as he caught her. Breathless with the shock of the cold water, she came up spluttering, her red plaits floating in the water. She grasped onto the only solid object she could find, namely Gilbert. "Steady there, you don't want to drown me too." He cautioned.

Gilbert guided Anne through the water. She was kicking, and he showed her how to move her hands to guide herself though the water. It was difficult, not just because she was unpractised, but her skirts were a hindrance too. He was very encouraging. Eventually, her feet touched the bottom and she was able to stand up. Gilbert stood up next to her. She turned to him at that point and said "Well thank you for rescuing me Mr Blythe. I am very much obliged. I truly thought I might have drowned out there."

"It was my pleasure. Will you forgive me my past transgressions, Miss Shirley. I really am truly sorry I teased you, and on your first day at school too. That was really out of order. There's no excuse for my poor behaviour. I hope we can be friends."

Anne looked at him, water streaming off his hair and down his nose. He looked quite handsome in his wet shirt. "All – all right, Mr Blythe, you have been so gallant today, I guess it would be churlish of me to hold a grudge after you saved my life." She held out her hand and he shook it.

Diana watched all this unfold from the beach. Gilbert's partner Moody appeared, he had wondered where Gilbert had disappeared to and came looking. They stood on the beach as Diana filled him in. They ran down to the water's edge, but Gilbert seemed to have it in hand. Diana gasped as she watched Anne and Gilbert shake hands while they stood waist deep in the water. They held hands as they walked back into the shore. Anne said afterwards that the seabed was uneven, and she held his hand to prevent herself from falling over, but Diana thought the sand was pretty flat just there.

* * *

It was a very wet, cold and bedraggled Anne and Gilbert who arrived back to the assembly point, where Mr Philips and the rest of the class was waiting. Joe rushed over to Anne as she appeared. "Are you all right Anne, what ...?"

"Just what is the meaning of this?" Mr Philips interrupted.

"It was my f-f-fault, Mr Ph-f-f-ilips. I got s-s-stranded on a r-r-reef and Gilbert r-r-rescued me." Anne was pretty cold by this point.

"What were you doing out on a reef in the first place, you foolish girl?"

"Anne and I went out there to look at rock pools for our field work Mr Philips" Diana explained "but we lost track of time. I came back to shore to fetch our buckets, and realised the tide had turned, but by that time Anne was stranded."

"I hope you've learned your lesson, young lady. That was a very silly thing to do." Had Mr Philips been doing his job, instead of canoodling in the dunes with Prissy, the disaster might have been averted in the first place, but he was hardly going to admit to that.

It was a cold walk home for Gilbert and Anne, but they did at least have the warmth of reconciliation to comfort them. Joe walked alongside Anne. In an attempt to warm her, he gave her his waistcoat. It didn't really work because Anne's dress was so very damp, but she appreciated the gesture.

Marilla glanced out the window and saw the children arriving home. Joe only half-dressed and what had happened to Anne, her dress looked very limp? She ran out to greet them, "What happened, are you both all right?"

"Anne had a bit of an accident Marilla, but she's all right now."

Anne looked at Marilla, her lips a slight shade of blue. "Anne! Let's get you inside to warm you up. What happened Joe?"

She and Diana went to look at rock pools for our field trip and she got stranded when the tide turned. Gilbert Blythe had to rescue her."

"Gilbert rescued her? Where was Mr Philips?"

Joe had no answer for her, Mr Philips had disappeared for the majority of the day.

"Well we'll investigate that later. Come in beside the fire now Anne. Joe, can you leave us for a while." Once he had left, Marilla stripped Anne out of her wet clothes, wrapped a blanket around her, and put on some water for a bath. "Were you daydreaming again Anne?"

Anne nodded. "I'm afraid I was Marilla. I must remember to keep in touch with reality. I was so frightened, I don't want anything like that to happen again."

Marilla determined that Anne was chastising herself more effectively than she ever could, so she decided not to punish her any further. Once the water was hot, she poured it and some cold water into the bath and helped Anne in. "We can just be thankful that God spared you Anne, and sent Gilbert to save you. I hope you can forgive him his past transgressions."

Anne, warm for the first time in what seemed like hours, contentedly said "Yes, I've forgiven him, and I told him so when we were standing in the water today. He was very chivalrous."

Suddenly Matthew burst through the door Marilla turned suddenly and ordered him out "Out out, I said get out!"

"Where's Anne? Where's my little girl? Joe said there'd been an accident."

"She's all right now Matthew, she's warming up in a bath. I'll come out with you. She's had a nasty shock, but she's fine now."

"What happened? As soon as I heard something was wrong I ran up here so I didn't hear what Joe had to say."

"She got caught up in her daydreams again, the tide turned and she was stranded."

"How did she get out of that predicament?"

"Gilbert Blythe rescued her."

"Gilbert Blythe?" Matthew raised his eyebrows.

"Now don't be like that, Matthew."

"I thought we'd seen the back of the Blythe family."

"Evidently not. She's forgiven him, says he was very chivalrous."

That night as she lay in her bed, having sincerely thanked God for her deliverance, Anne reflected on the nature of forgiveness. It felt right that she had pardoned Gilbert, they didn't have to be best friends, but she didn't want to stay enemies either. Holding on to her anger had become rather a drag lately, so it felt good to have that behind her now. Anne rolled over, closed her eyes and went to sleep, exhausted after her traumatic day.

* Anne's House of Dreams, LMM  
**My brother once had a lecturer tell him to enjoy marine recreation on the land sea interface i.e. swim at the beach.


	12. Chapter 12 A Feverish Spirit

**A Feverish Spirit**

 _A/N I'm going to annoy **Elizasky** and **Kslchen** with this story, as they will tell me that a dip in the ocean will not make you sick. But for the sake of creative license, Anne caught a chill after her dunking yesterday, maybe it was coincidental?_

"Anne! Anne! Time to get up, Anne!" When Anne did not appear at the breakfast table. Marilla walked up the stairs and knocked on her door. There was no answer. "I do hope she's all right after yesterday." Marilla murmured to herself. Anne was still asleep in her bed, the covers all awry. Marilla bent down to feel Anne's forehead, she was very hot. "Oh dear." Marilla ran downstairs to check the breakfast wasn't burning, told Joe what was happening, and walked back up with some wet cloths to cool Anne down.

* * *

Matthew was out in the barn milking. Truth be told, while he was terribly relieved that Anne had been rescued the day before, he was less enthusiastic that her savior had been the Blythe boy. Blythe men and Cuthbert women were a volatile mix.

John Blythe, Gilbert's father had courted Marilla many years ago. John was intelligent, handsome and charming. He swept young Marilla off her feet. Matthew recalled how John had transformed his hitherto quiet little sister, she positively glowed. The entire household was transformed by her infatuation. She would come home from walks or dances and share the joy. It was a lovely interlude.

Then they quarreled, over what Matthew couldn't recall. Marilla was cast down. She fell hard and really, if Matthew thought about it, had never completely recovered. Matthew recalled the weeks she spent in her room afterwards, crying and reading poetry. John had moved on, got married and eventually his wife had given birth to Gilbert.

It was no wonder Matthew was wary when it came to the Blythe men, he couldn't bear to see Anne's light go out, like Marilla's had all those years ago. The cow kicked, evidently, he'd gripped the teat too hard, he tended to that if he got too wrought up in his thinking.

Joe appeared breathlessly to inform him that Anne was unwell and that one of them should fetch the doctor. "I'll go Joe, you have to go to school." Matthew quickly saddled his horse and galloped off towards town.

Joe took up the milk pail and walked up to the house. "Marilla?"

"I'm up here with Anne."

Joe fixed himself a quick breakfast, called up to Marilla that he was going to school, and that Matthew had gone to fetch the doctor.

* * *

Marilla continued to care for Anne. She had popped down to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat and had rushed back up to little bedroom. She straightened the sheets and adjusted the blankets as Anne alternated between extreme heat and extreme cold. One moment she would be sweating, the next shivering. Her hair was a tangled mess from tossing and turning. She looked like she was about to be ill and Marilla held the bowl under her chin, the sour smell filling the room.

"No, please no. Please don't. I'll be good. Please." Anne was pleading with an unknown assailant.

Marilla looked down at her, tears in her eyes. "Anne, no one will hurt you."

After a spell the Matthew showed the doctor in. He examined her, professed that she just had a fever and that she should come good in about 24 hours. "She's been hallucinating doctor." Marilla informed him.

"Yes, a fever can do that, but I just want you to keep her cool. I believe she got very cold yesterday."

"Yes, she got stranded on a reef at the beach and had to swim to safety."

"Her body is just reacting to that shock. I predict she will be well again in a couple of days. Just keep an eye on her Miss Cuthbert and continue to do as you are doing.

* * *

Matthew hovered in the doorway hoping she would be all right, his little girl was the light of his life. He couldn't bear for anything to happen to her, he sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"No, no, please don't. I'll be good, I promise." Anne's pleading grew ever more urgent. Anger that anyone might have hurt her gripped Matthew, he heard Marilla's step in the doorway.

"Anne you're safe, you're here at Green Gables." Matthew tried to reassure her, but he wasn't sure if she was conscious enough to hear him. Anne muttered some more, but did calm down.

"Matthew, she has had a terrible time at some point in her past. Who would hurt such a little girl?"

"I'm just relieved we decided to keep her Marilla. I don't think I could have sent her back."

Marilla looked at him and shuddered. "No."

Matthew clasped her hand, but she snatched it back as if he'd burnt her. In her delirium she'd mistaken his gentle touch for something more dangerous.

He looked around her little gabled bedroom and thought how bare it looked. Really, they should do something to remedy that situation, Anne was such a romantic, he was sure she would appreciate some lacey curtains and maybe a nice print on the wall. Next time he was in town he thought he would order some nice stuff and of course, maybe he'd talk to someone about a puffed sleeve dress. Marilla was so set against stylish clothes, but Anne needed something beautiful to wear. Matthew had noticed the difference between what Anne wore and what the other girls around town wore. She was so precious to him, he thought he could fix that at least. Anne shifted and groaned, Matthew took up a damp cloth and wiped her face with it. He felt her forehead with the back of his hand and was shocked at how hot it felt.

* * *

The two of them continued to nurse her throughout the day. She cried out in terror on occasion, upsetting them both. She had been keeping facts about her life before from them evidently, whether it was to protect them or her, or both, they weren't sure, but it sounded like a torrid life. She had been completely defenseless.

Joe came home from school. Gilbert and Diana had been worried when Anne had not arrived. There wasn't much he could tell them other than the fact that Anne wasn't well. Diana asked to be kept informed. She wanted to visit when Anne was sufficiently recovered.

The next morning her fever had broken. Anne was weak but improving. Matthew arrived with a bowl of porridge which she ate while he sat on the edge of the bed. "Anne, you said a few things in delirium that distressed us."

"Oh, did I?" Anne was worried, what had she said?

"Sounds like you needed to come to live with us."

"Yes, I did. I hope…"

"Yes?"

"I hope I didn't say anything bad."

"Well it was bad enough. Anne, we love you, we're just so sorry that such dreadful things happened to you." Marilla had heard them talking from below and came up to lend her support. She wanted Anne to know they loved her and that she was safe with them. Anne lay back down after her breakfast feeling warm and treasured.

* * *

Marilla entered her room that afternoon announcing "Anne, Diana Barry has come to pay you a visit." Marilla plumped up Anne's pillows. "I'll just fetch a vase for the flowers."

Diana was in the doorway, a bunch of lilies in her hand. "Anne, I was so sorrowful to hear that you were ill. Joe told us at school yesterday." She handed over the flowers for Anne to smell.

"Diana, these blooms will fill my room with their delectable scent, thank you so much, my darling bosom friend. Tell me, what have I missed at school? Don't leave anything out."

"Well Mr Philips has been reprimanded and put on notice for ignoring us all on the field trip. No one knows where he disappeared to. If he had been paying attention, you wouldn't have got into trouble."

"Oooh" Anne's eyes were quite round with interest. Mr Philips was a pretty crummy teacher, sarcastic and dismissive and always too interested in Prissy Andrews to teach. If he were put on notice, maybe they'd get a new and better teacher sometime?

"Have you really forgiven Gilbert now Anne?"

"Yes, I have. He was very gallant Di. Almost like a hero in one of our favourite novels, though I'm not sure wading through water is quite as romantic as riding up on a charger." Diana giggled at her memory of Gilbert in the water in his shirt and breeches. "Do you know he swore when I showed him where you were stranded?"

"Did he? What did he say?"

"He said 'shit'." Diana mouthed the word instead of saying it, in case Marilla was nearby.

Anne covered her mouth and giggled hard. "Oh my! Well it was quite the predicament wasn't it and there was no one else around to help me out."

Marilla bought the girls up some afternoon tea to share and left them to it. It made her happy to hear the girls' laughter fill the room. Now that she had an inkling of Anne's background, she was determined to make her life here in Avonlea as happy as it was possible to be. After about half an hour, she interrupted the merriment and informed Diana that the patient needed to rest. Anne would be returning to school after the weekend and they could catch up then.

* * *

Joe crept in just as Anne was settling back down. "How are you Anne? Are you feeling better?"

"I am Joe, thank you."

"Matthew has been so worried about you. Apparently, you said some things in your delirium that upset him."

"Yes, so I heard. I'm sorry to have done that. I didn't want anyone to know."

"Why?"

"Just in case they thought less of me, in case they thought I was trash and they should send me back."

"Well, have no fear on that score, Anne. Matthew is furious, but not at you. Not at you at all. He's mad at whoever hurt you. We think Matthew is mild mannered, but I think if he ever met the man who scared you so, he would inflict a grave injury."

"He would do that for me?"

Joe nodded grimly. "Yes. Without a doubt."

"I can't help thinking how very lucky we are Joe. I don't know where I would have ended up if I had stayed at Hopeless?"

"I know Anne, it was grim, but we're very fortunate to have been brought here to make a family."

"We must just make sure they know how appreciative we are, always, Joe."

Joe nodded, "I agree. I think it's Marilla's birthday soon, maybe we could do something for her then?"


	13. Chapter 13 The Serpent's Tooth

**The Serpent's Tooth**

 _Inspired by a couple of modern trips to the dentist recently. I thought about what it would have been like in the 1800s. Sorry to do this to you Joe._

Joe woke up in the night, his jaw was in excruciating agony. He tossed and turned, hoping that lying on that side would soften the pain. It didn't work. He didn't get much more sleep that night, but he didn't want to wake Matthew or Marilla. They worked hard enough as it was and needed their rest. Joe fell asleep from sheer exhaustion just as the first rays of dawn were hitting the farm. The cock crowed as it always did, but it didn't rouse Joe.

It did rouse Marilla and Anne though. It was a normal school day so both women got up; one to complete her chores before school; and the other to put breakfast on. Matthew was already up and milking the cows. When Joe did not appear, Marilla knocked on his door. "Joe. Joe. Joe! Time to get up Joe, you can't sleep in, it's a school day." She walked in to his room and saw him lying in his bed, the blankets disheveled around him. "Looks like a rough night Joe. Are you ill?"

Joe woke up to her peering down at him. "Marwilla, I god a toofay."

"Oh dear, are you in much pain?" Joe nodded. "Open up, let me have a look?" She peered into his mouth, but the light was poor. "We'll need to get a better look in brighter light, Joe. Come out to the kitchen so I can see." Dutifully he got out of bed, put on his dressing gown and made his way out to the kitchen. Anne looked up in shock, "Why aren't you dressed Joe?"

"Joe is not feeling well, Anne. I think you'll be going to school alone."

"Oh dear, what's the matter?" Anne asked kindly. She adored her brother and was upset to hear that he was unwell.

"I god a toofay, Anh."

As he was holding his jaw and drooling a little, Anne could well believe it.

"Now Joe, just hold your mouth so," Marilla angled his head in the doorway to capture the most light "and I'll have a look." She had a good peer in his mouth, annoyed that her own head created a shadow. She bent and straightened in order to get the best view as he patiently held his mouth open. She handed him her handkerchief when she had finished, to wipe up the drool. "Well I can't see much, but it looks as though you're in severe pain, Joe. I suppose we had better take you to the dentist in town."

Joe shook his head violently. "No Mawrilla, itwll get bedda on its own. I down wanna go to da dentisht."

Joe had had occasion to be seen by a dentist before. At the asylum a dentist had come once a year to examine all the children. He insisted on removing teeth from just about everyone, including Joe. All Joe remembered was the pain.

"Joe, you're in agony now. We have to do something to help. You can't go on like this."

"No, no Mawrilla, pwease no. Pwease don make me go."

"I'll not hear another word about it Joe. I'm taking you to the dentist and that's that."

Joe went back to bed. He was exhausted, he couldn't face breakfast, even though he was hungry.

* * *

Once Anne had left for school, Matthew hitched the horse to the buggy and Marilla drove it to town. Joe's pain was intensifying, he couldn't really talk at this point. He just clutched his jaw and moaned.

The dental surgery was located in Carmody. It was a low-lying brick building with the dentist's name on a plate by the front door which when opened led into a waiting room. Marilla spoke to the receptionist and asked for an appointment for Joe. They sat down to wait. Screams could be heard from within and several times Joe made as if to bolt, but each time Marilla stopped him. She wasn't surprised that he was nervous, terrified even, but he was already in distress and she couldn't see it improving on its own. Joe sat there in misery. He was in pain with his tooth and petrified of what lay behind the door.

Presently the dentist appeared, his blood streaked apron advertising the work that he performed.

"Gut morning, how may I be of assistance?"

"It's my son, Joe, here. He has a terrible toothache. Can you help?"

The dentist, Dr Zahn, was German. He had emigrated to Canada years previously. Dentistry was a pretty brutal job, but someone had to do it. Dr Zahn attempted to keep up to date with the latest practices. He had maintained a thick Germanic accent which inspired a mixture of fear and respect in his patients.

"Yess of courrs. Come zis vay, young man. I vill help you."

Reluctantly Joe followed the dentist into the surgery and sat down on his dental chair. It reclined, had a head rest above the back and armrests and small bowl attached to the left armrest. There were various levels and cranks arrayed around the chair. He was dismayed to see the straps on the armrests too.

He looked back at Marilla. "Shall I come too?" she enquired of Dr Zahn.

"Best not. You can vait out zere in ze vaiting rohm."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Joe. I'll be here when it's over."

Joe nodded and apprehensively sat down.

"Now young man, let'z see vat ze problem is."

Dr Zahn strapped Joe into the chair and adjusted it so that Joe was lying flat on his back. He peered into Joe's mouth and immediately identified the problem.

"No vonder you are in pain, young man. Zhat toose looks nasty. It vill have to go. Don't vorry, I am up to date vith ze latest methods, zis von't hurt a bit."

Dr Zahn first dabbed some cotton infused with oil of cloves on and around the tooth. Joe squirmed and moaned in agony at the feeling, his tooth was very tender. The dentist was gentle however and it did make the pain abate somewhat.

"Now Joe, close your eyes." Dr Zahn found that his patients coped better if they did not witness this next bit.

Taking up his favourite extraction tool, the tooth key, he inserted it horizontally into Joe's mouth, and hooked the claw over the diseased tooth. He then rotated the claw to loosen the tooth and pry it out of the gum. Joe was screaming in agony by this point. His already tender gum was being assaulted by this instrument of torture.

At this juncture Dr Zahn usually applauded himself for having the foresight to tie his patients down, lest they bolt. After about ten minutes, the tooth finally gave up the fight and fell into Joe's mouth. Dr Zahn deftly whisked it out and told Joe to open his mouth again.

Marilla was sitting outside in the waiting room, she went visibly pale at the sound of Joe's screams and on several occasions nearly ran into rescue him. She was mightly relieved to hear Joe's voice after about ten minutes.

"So, that's it?"

"Ya, zhat's it, your diseased toose. Do you vant to keep it as a souvenir?"

Joe looked at it warily, "No, I don't think so."

"Very vell." Dr Zahn tossed it into the bin. "Here, vash your mouse out here and spit zere." He pointed to the small bowl attached to the armrest.

He walked out to the door and flung it open declaring "It is all done. He should be fine zoon, no hard food for a couple of dayz zo. He can vash his mouse out vith salt vater several timz a day. You may pay my receptionist."

Marilla gathered a shell-shocked Joe, still clasping his jaw, into her arms, paid the lady and they stumbled out into the street.

Once they got home, she put Joe back to bed and went to prepare some salt water for him. She sat with him while he swilled and spat and sat with the bowl in her lap.

"Well that was quite the adventure. I must say it was hard to sit in the waiting room listening to you within."

"It wasn't much fun within either." Joe agreed, privately thinking that next time he'd mask the pain. Anything to avoid a repeat visit to terrifying Dr Zahn.

 _A/N The Tooth Key was real, you can google it. Once you have done that, go and kiss your dentist and give thanks for the excellent dental care we mostly enjoy now._


	14. Chapter 14 Surprise!

**Surprise!**

 _Happy Birthday to You_

Matthew had confided to Joe over the flank of a cow one day that Marilla's birthday was going to be on a Saturday next month. She usually ignored it, believing such fripperies to be nonsense.

Joe told Anne about it and not surprisingly Anne's reaction was quite the opposite. "Joe" she went into raptures "we can hold a surprise party for her!"

"Take it easy Anne. Just think, how can we manage that?"

"It'll be easy. I'll do the baking at Diana's and we'll ask Mrs Lynde, she'll provide some treats too. It won't be large, just us four, Diana and the Lyndes. You can play the fiddle. Do you know many tunes yet? Oh! bother, I've nothing to wear." Anne's mind went into overdrive as she mapped the afternoon out.

* * *

As the day approached, Joe asked Anne what he could do to help. "You have to get Marilla out of the way for about an hour, while Diana and I set up the house."

"How am I supposed to manage that?" Joe's imagination failed him.

"I dunno, just take her for a walk or something. Tell her you have something you need to discuss. Think of something, Joe. Use your imagination." If you have one, she muttered to herself. Honestly did she have to think of every little thing around here?

 _Happy Birthday to You_

At 1.30pm Joe walked into the kitchen to find Marilla just washing up the last of the lunch things. "Um, Marilla, it's such a lovely day. Seems a pity to waste it doing housework."

Marilla looked up at him surprised. She had a lovely day of sweeping and mopping planned, where was the waste in that? It was such a satisfying chore.

"Why don't we two go for a walk?"

"A walk, Joe?"

"Yes, I have something I want to discuss with you."

"Very well then. Let me get my shawl."

They strolled along the road, Marilla's arm in his, as he played the gentleman. She glanced across at him "Why Joe, you're nearly as tall as I am now. You're growing up."

"Must be all the delicious food you're feeding me, Marilla. I really am very obliged that you adopted me."

"It is absolutely our pleasure, Joe." Marilla thought back to the quiet house of barely a year ago and inwardly shuddered. She and Matthew hadn't even known what they were missing out on. "What was it you wanted to discuss?"

Oh, yes, that. Joe's mind went blank. "Well, it's just. Just that well I ..."

Marilla looked confused, "I thought you wanted to discuss something important? Not that this walk isn't pleasant, you understand. I should get out of the house more often I suppose. Make the most of this lovely fall weather before winter hits."

Weather, he could ask about the weather. "How cold does it get here?"

"Well it does get pretty chilly. Colder than town I guess. All those houses together probably provide a bit o collective warmth. Around Avonlea it can get down to ten below. Green Gables is well built though, we stay warm enough inside. It's a chilly walk to school though." Joe shuddered, it was a bit colder than he was used to. "But, surely that's not what you had to discuss?"

"No, it's just." He thought desperately, his fingers fiddling in his pocket. The fiddle! "It's just I've been thinking about my fiddle. How would it be if I found a job playing the fiddle sometime?"

"I think that sounds like an excellent plan Joe." Marilla was still suspicious. If Joe just wanted to go for a walk, why make up such a spurious excuse? Maybe it was just an adolescent boy thing?

"Yes, I thought I could bring in a little extra money for the household, especially since we know I can't help out at harvest." Joe's nose tickled a bit at the memory of his terrible hay fever.

"Sounds like an excellent plan. Do you want me to ask around a bit? I know a few musicians in town."

"Yes please, Marilla."

They had been strolling along for about half an hour by now, so perhaps it would be alright to stroll slowly home. Joe was in no hurry.

 _Happy Birthday Dear Marilla_

* * *

Back at Green Gables party preparation was in full swing. Anne and Diana had baked a cake at the Barry's the previous day, a triple layer chocolate cake. It was a bit lop-sided and Anne was concerned that the top layer might slip off, but she hoped it would be delicious enough.

Diana had festooned streamers about the kitchen and parlour. Anne had found every flower within a half hour radius of the house and arranged them in all the vases she could lay her hands on.

They had raided the pantry and found the raspberry cordial and the red currant wine for the adults. Mr and Mrs Lynde had been invited and worded up. Rachel never liked keeping secrets from anyone, least of all Marilla, but even she understood the importance on this occasion. She had provided ginger snaps and raspberry tarts for the afternoon tea and she had been creating a beautiful gift for Marilla to present to her later.

Matthew was inside, all spruced up and now acting as look out. Anne was hopping about making finishing touches to the arrangement. She was wearing her brown dress. It wasn't beautiful, and it lacked puffed sleeves, but it would have to do.

 _Happy Birthday to You_

"I see them, here they come." Matthew whispered. Everyone ducked down behind some item of furniture, except Rachel who wasn't spry enough, so she just hid behind the kitchen door.

Joe led Marilla back to the door and they walked in. "What's all…"

"Surprise!"

"Surprise!"

"Happy Birthday Marilla!"

Marilla was so shocked; her hands flew up to her face and she burst into tears.

This was not the reaction Anne was aiming for, she stood looking forlorn.

Rachel had an inkling. "Come now dear, just sit down in the parlour." Marilla allowed herself to be led in and sat down on the sofa.

"It's just, it's just." Tears traced down her face. "No one. Ever. No one." She sobbed.

"I think she's overwhelmed with happiness, Anne." Matthew explained.

Marilla nodded. "Here's a cup of tea for you dear." Rachel handed her a hot drink. "Anne organised the whole thing for you. She wanted to give you a nice surprise."

A teary Marilla looked up at Anne and sobbed "Th…an…k … y…ou."

Anne sat next to her on the sofa and hugged her. "I'm sorry you're upset."

Marilla looked at her through her teary eyes. "I'm not upset. I'm happy. Anne, no one has ever thrown a surprise party for me, ever. In fact, I had forgotten it was my birthday. We don't usually acknowledge it. I suppose you revealed the date, Matthew?"

He nodded. "I thought for once we could celebrate it, now that we have someone to share it with."

 _Hip Hip Hooray_

It was a merry afternoon and evening. The birthday cake was delicious. As Anne had anticipated the top tier did fall off, but everyone laughed and enjoyed it regardless. The lack of architectural stability did not affect the taste.

Rachel presented Marilla with her gift. Marilla sat down on the sofa and reverently took the beautiful package on her lap. It was wrapped in gorgeous paper and tied with a bow. Inside she was delighted to find a new shawl which Rachel had been knitting all month. "It's so soft. Thank you, my dearest friend, I shall treasure it."

"Just make sure you wear it. It should keep you warm in the months to come."

At that small break in proceedings Joe took up his fiddle and began to play a soft tune he had been practising for some time. It provided a lovely background to the festivities. Next, he upped the tempo and Thomas Lynde stood up and asked Marilla for her hand in the dance.

"Why thank you, Thomas. I would be delighted."

They were joined by Anne and Joe, Rachel and Matthew. Diana looked on laughing and clapping time with the music. She had a turn later as everyone changed partners.

 _Hip Hip Hooray_

Later as people lounged around filling small gaps with tasty treats and sipping on which ever red drink was best suited to them. Marilla confided in Anne "This was just the most gorgeous treat, Anne. I'm sorry for my initial reaction. I suppose I surprised you?"

Anne grinned, "You sure did. I didn't expect my usually fearless mother to burst into tears. I'm so happy that you enjoyed it though. Happy Birthday Marilla."

 _Hip Hip Hooray_


	15. Chapter 15 Skating on Thin Ice

With thanks to **kslchen** for the prompt. Now I've never been skating, so if this feels wrong please let me know.

 **Skating on Thin Ice**

Diana felt free, unencumbered and light, like a flying bird or a fish darting through the water. It was a lovely free feeling, going as fast as you could, gliding around the corners and swaying from side to side as each leg cut into the ice and propelled her forward. It was living up to its name, The Lake of Shining Waters. Everyone else in Avonlea called it Barry's Pond, but Diana's love for Anne meant that she never thought of it as anything else. She confidently glided over the ice, the rasp of her skates could be heard over that bouncy boing boing noise that thin ice made. It was unlike any other sound you heard the rest of the year. She loved it, even though it really signaled danger. She was pretty sure the ice was thick enough today though.

It had been a bitterly cold week, but the one good result was that the pond had frozen over. You could see through the clear ice to the bottom of the pond. All was still underneath. She was waiting for Joe and Anne to join her for a skating lesson.

* * *

At school the previous week, the girls had been discussing the possibility of an outing. The weather had gotten steadily colder, all around still water had frozen. Anne and Joe had asked Marilla permission to go out for the day. She was unsure, skating was inherently dangerous, ice might look safe, but often wasn't. The last thing they needed was a repeat of the beach incident in the summer when Anne had gotten stranded and caught a chill.

After much cajoling, Marilla sent Matthew out to check the pond. He reported back that the ice was pretty thick and he determined it was safe. "It's an island tradition, Marilla. We loved it as children, can you really deny them this experience?" Marilla had held out as long as she could, but with the combined arguments of the threesome, she capitulated. "Very well, mind you wrap up very warm now, hats, scarves and your warmest stockings, Anne."

They shuffled on their snowshoes down the path towards the lake. The world was silent apart from a chickadee calling 'chick pee dee' and the pine goldfinches' slim voices sounding sweet notes around the dark spires of ancient spruces. Out of the corner of her eye Anne caught sight of the flash of a bluejay flying past. It had snowed in the night, so Anne and Joe were breaking fresh snow with every step, even with their snow shoes it was quite exhausting. With their extra layers of cloths they were soon puffing with the exertion. Anne removed her overcoat and carried it instead.

After about fifteen minutes they could see Diana whizzing around the pond, her distinctive red scarf flashing through the trees. Diana skated over to the pond side and stopped with a flourish, the ice chips flying up in a spray. Anne was impressed by her skill.

"Wow, Diana. You're really good at this." Diana smiled and helped them put their skates on. "I'll have to help you individually. Who wants to go first?" Anne decided to, she held onto Diana's arm with a vice-like grip as they slowly crept around on the ice. Anne had yet to learn how to glide, instead walking with tiny steps as she gained her balance. Diana supposed she had been the same when she first tried it, it had been so long ago, she couldn't remember being quite this tentative. As they crept around the pond, glancing back at Joe waiting on the snow by the pond's edge, Diana was delighted to see some help had arrived in the form of Gilbert Blythe. "Good afternoon Gilbert" she called. "Want to give Joe a hand?"

The boys had already greeted each other, and Gilbert kindly offered his arm to Joe, supposing he had never had a chance to skate before. Joe was as uncoordinated as Anne. Together the foursome crept around the pond for about an hour or so. Eventually Diana declared that Anne had to have a go on her own. Gilbert agreed, mostly because he was terribly bored and longing to have a go on his own. The freedom of the ice was calling to him. They left Joe and Anne stranded on the ice and skated off feeling virtuous. Hadn't they spent ages helping them already?

The two experienced skaters skated around the pond, laughing and trying out tricks as Joe and Anne walked around on their skates, trying to skate and usually failing. Both of them were sore and wet from falling over on the cold, hard, wet ice numerous times. They would hang onto each other to get back up and attempt it again.

* * *

Anne noticed big fat snowflakes impeding her attempts to glide. She looked up and around and saw nothing but snow. A blizzard had descended without anyone noticing. "Hey Di, look it's snowing," she called. She could barely make out the shapes of the others at the other side of the pond. Walking over to the shore through the increasing storm as quickly as she could, she joined a distressed Diana, with Joe and Gilbert looking worried.

"Oh, dear what are we doing to do? We'll never make it home through this."Diana exclaimed.

We need to find some shelter." Gilbert announced.

They stumbled around for a few moments before fetching up against a tree. "This might have to do for now, can we make a makeshift tent with our coats?" Gilbert suggested. It was bitterly cold, they huddled together for warmth.

"This will never do, we have to find somewhere warmer or we'll freeze to death. Do you think we can find your house Diana? It can't be far." Joe proposed.

They stumbled along together, holding hands in the swirling blizzard, until they came to the wall of a house with a sudden smack. The flurries were so thick, they hadn't seen it before they hit it. "This might be something." Anne yelled, and they felt their way along the wall and around a corner, until they found a door. Diana turned the door handle and they fell into the Barry hallway bringing in the blizzard with them. They were thankful that the house wasn't too far from the pond, it had been a grueling enough journey as it was. Any further and it might have proved deadly.

Mr and Mrs Barry exclaimed at the commotion and welcomed them in. They had been worried about the children in the storm. Mr Barry stoked the fires to warm them up. Mrs Barry provided tea and scones.

* * *

"Well, we better be getting home Mrs Barry." Joe suggested once they had warmed up.

"No, you're staying here until the storm abates, I don't think you'll survive if we send you out in this."

"But Marilla and Matthew will be terribly worried" Joe explained.

"Better they're worried and you're safe; than they're worried and you're in danger. Stay." Mr Barry insisted. They holed up at Orchard Slope for the day. The snow continued to fall, creating vast drifts around the house.

* * *

Back at Green Gables Marilla was pacing and praying. "Where can they be Matthew? I was worried before they left, but I thought they'd be home as soon as they saw the weather change. What if they're dead at the bottom of the pond? What if they're caught in the storm? It's bitterly cold, they can't survive out there. They don't know the weather here, how quickly it can change." She turned her teary eyes to Matthew "What can we do?"

"We can't do anything Marilla. The weather is too extreme. We just have to have faith that they will be all right. They're sensible", at this Marilla humphed, "well Joe is anyways. I'm sure he will keep Anne safe. If you want, we can pray."

 _"For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall."*_ Neither of them got much rest that night, but eventually they fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, in the wee small hours.

It was a similar scene at the Blythe homestead. Mary and John Blythe were praying that Gilbert was safely holed up somewhere. They felt sure that an island boy would find safety somewhere.

* * *

Back at the Barry's Anne and Diana shared a bed and the boys slept on the sofas downstairs, huddled under masses of spare blankets.

The next morning the snow was still coming down fast. Mr Barry looked out, unable to decide if he should make a dash for it, to at least put the other families out of their misery, but Mrs Barry talked him out of it. "No dear, it's not worth it. I know they'll be worried sick, but the blizzard is too fierce."

* * *

Marilla did what she always did when she was upset, she cleaned and she baked. The pantry was overflowing, indeed, she only stopped baking when she ran out of sugar. Next the floor was swept and mopped to within an inch of its life. She decided now was the perfect time to sort out the pantry; anything to take her mind off her wee lost babes. Matthew was far calmer, able to sit by the fire smoking his pipe. "How can you do that?" Marilla asked tetchily. "You look so calm, aren't you worried sick?"

"I am, but there's nothing I can do about it, worrying myself sick won't achieve anything."

* * *

Joe and Anne were feeling just awful about Matthew and Marilla, they knew they'd be besides themselves. But they too were powerless. There was no communication while the storm raged outside.

To pass the time, they played games and read stories. When that got boring Anne made them all make up stories. They all sat around in a circle by the fire, taking turns saying a line of a story:

"It was a dark and stormy night."

"The snow was rattling the windows"

"And the doors."

"A spectre slowly drifted past the window." Anne looked admiringly at Mr Barry.

After a couple of hours Diana peeked out the window and declared "I think it's abating."

Mr Barry joined her at the window. "I think you're right. We might be able to make a dash for it shortly. I'll harness the horse to the sleigh."

* * *

Marilla and Matthew burst out of the house when they heard the jingle of the horses' bells. Marilla was always loath to display emotion fearing that if she did so, she'd never stop. As a result, her worry turned into waspishness. "Where have you two been all this time, Matthew has been worried sick?"

"We're awfully sorry Marilla. We got caught out skating, the storm descended so rapidly, all we had time to do was make our way through the blizzard to the Barry's. We've been holed up there ever since, this is the first chance we've been able to get out. We came here as soon as we could." Marilla stood and glared at them, her arms crossed. Thankfully Matthew could display his feelings and he hugged them both and whispered that Marilla was pleased to see them too.

Later when Marilla was preparing dinner in the kitchen he was able to explain her reaction to them.

"Didn't she worry about us?" Anne queried.

"Oh, she was anxious all right, take a peek in the pantry to see how much she cared, Marilla always bakes when she's upset. We'll be enjoying the fruits of her labour for a couple of weeks I reckon. She just can't tell you. She's always been like that. She was awful worried, but she'll never tell you. Tell me how was your skating lesson?"

"Oh it was all right. Joe and I were pretty terrible at it. Di and Gilbert make it look easy."

"You just need more practice, but next time, keep an eye on the weather."

* * *

* Isaiah 24:4


	16. Chapter 16 Tis The Season

_Thank you for reading and reviewing, and thank you to my story favouriters and followers. Seems quite a few of you like this AU I've created. I love any feedback._

 **Tis the Season**

"What was Christmas like in the asylum Joe?" Anne asked.

"Bleak. I think we got an extra ladle full of gruel to celebrate, but that's about all. What was it like at the Hammond's?"

"Awful. They had a feast, but all that meant for me was more work. I barely got to eat any of it, if I was lucky I got some left overs."

Marilla overheard them talking with a tear in her eye. Past Christmases had been dull affairs for her and Matthew even before their parents had died. Initially it had just been the four of them, then three when their father had passed away, and eventually just the two of them for many years. For the last few years they had even dispensed with a feast and had eaten a regular meal in silence. Just like every other day of the year.

Rachel had taken pity on them one year, and had invited them to Christmas dinner at The Lynde house. Truth be told both Marilla and Matthew had found that day rather trying, they were unused to ten excitable children on this most thrilling day. It was all a bit too much and they had fled after the meal, Marilla complaining of a looming sick headache which was not too far from the truth.

On hearing her children speak so frankly, Marilla was doubly happy she had prepared a family celebration.

* * *

Matthew and Marilla had conspired to give Anne the present of her dreams. Since the day they first met, she had been longing for a beautiful dress. After her bedtime one night Matthew had bought up the subject. "Marilla, you bought Joe a fiddle. No, don't get me wrong. I think it was a perfect gift, but I think Anne deserves a nice dress. You know how she's been hankering for one since the day we met."

Marilla nodded.

"I'm thinking we should go to the dress shop in Carmody and get her a lovely dress with those sleeves she likes."

"Puffed sleeves." replied Marilla with a roll of her eyes and a massive sigh.

"Yes, that's right, puffed sleeves."

After breakfast on Christmas morning the first order of the day was a trip to church. The horse had been hitched to the sleigh, they were all rugged up. It was sunny, but bitterly cold, with icicles hanging from the branches. The church was more crowded than usual. On arriving home afterwards they huddled around the fire warming up for a few minutes, before taking off their coats, hats and scarves. "Anne" Matthew announced, we have a present for you."

"For me?"

"Yes, Marilla and I decided you needed a treat. You've transformed our lives since you arrived, we want you to know how much you mean to us. Matthew presented her with a big box tied with a red ribbon. Anne just looked at him and at Marilla. Could it be? She hardly dared hope. Eagerly she untied the ribbon and opened the box. Inside was just the most divine dress. It was a light blue cotton, with a laced neck and best of all, the puffiest of puffed sleeves. Anne, for once in her life, was speechless. They had bought Joe a new music book to add to his collection, but nothing major. He had received his major present months earlier. Joe and Anne gave their presents to Marilla and Matthew in return.

* * *

The Christmas table was groaning under the weight of a sumptuous feast lovingly prepared by Marilla, ably assisted by Anne. Marilla had beheaded a rooster, then stuffed and roasted it. She served it along with roast potatoes and mashed neeps*. The house was scented by all manner of beautiful aromas, from the perfume of the pine needles from the Christmas tree, to the roast chicken, to the Christmas pudding which had been baked weeks earlier and was gently steaming on the stove. Afterwards Joe and Anne were intrigued to see Marilla flame the pudding by pouring a little liquor over the dish and lighting it with a match. The blue flame danced over the pudding for a minute or so until it ran out of fuel.** It was all delicious and quite the nicest Christmas meal either of them had ever eaten.

After dinner while they were sitting around the table nibbling on nuts and chocolates Anne said "May I ask you a question Marilla?"

"Yes of course."

"Is there a reason you never married?"

Joe kicked her under the table. "Ow" she glared at him, "you're intrigued too."

"Yes, but it's none of our business." Joe hissed.

"That's all right Joe. Anne, you have a right to know. As it happens, a long time ago, I was interested in a boy."

"Was it Gilbert's father?"

"Oh you heard about that did you? Yes, some people called John Blythe my beau."

"So what went wrong?"

"We quarrelled." Seeing the look in Anne's eyes, Marilla admitted sadly "Yes Anne you didn't invent stubbornness, I had the jump on you there. We argued and by the time I'd forgiven him, he'd moved on. This is a small community, I had few opportunities to find another partner."

"Oh Marilla, that is so utterly tragical."

"Yes well, it was God's will, and it left us free to adopt you two children later on."

"You two, wonderful, children" Matthew added.

Marilla looked at him and then them, "Just so."

* * *

Joe went to his bedroom and fetched out the fiddle. He was getting pretty good at it now and increasing his repertoire. He was playing at a New Year's ceilidh the following week and spending all his spare time practising. The family weren't complaining, they loved to hear him play. The first tune was a sad lament, but he soon mixed it up and played a fast jig which lifted their spirits and had Matthew asking first Anne, and then Marilla for a dance. Marilla hadn't danced for years and Joe started them off slowly, but he increased the tempo until both were dancing as fast as they could, with Anne clapping beside them. He finished with a flourish and a very hot and pink couple fell onto the couch laughing hard. "Oh Joe" Marilla panted. "I haven't danced like that in years. That was splendid."

Although the weather was hard and cold outside, within Green Gables the warmth of joyous tidings delivered a wonderful Yuletide to all. It was certainly the best Christmas any of them had ever enjoyed.

* * *

The whole town turned out New Year's Eve Ceilidh. Ordinarily it was the kind of event that Marilla and Matthew would avoid, but since their boy was making his professional debut, they were more than happy to go.

Joe insisted that they get there early, and he anxiously sat out the back tuning his fiddle. It wouldn't do to have it out of tune, besides it gave his nervous hands something to do. Presently the rest of the band arrived, the leader was Ben Trickleback. Ben was a friendly man in his mid thirties. On seeing him meticulously tuning his instrument, Ben clapped Joe on the back. "Nice to see you taking it so seriously, Joe." Joe looked up at the older man and gulped nervously. "Are you all right?"

"I'm petrified."

Ben laughed in a friendly manner, "I'm sure ye are. Is this your first time playing in public?" Joe nodded. "You'll be fine. It's a funny thing being a musician Joe, we go to all the dances, but we just play. We never get to dance ourselves. Still you do get to see what goes on. I like to track the progress of relationships over the course of time. You can see which couples spend all their time together at one gig and if they're still together the next time."

It wasn't just music on offer at the ceilidh. There were poetry recitations too. Standing up on stage in her new dress, Anne recited:

 _Cauld blaws the wind frae east to west_  
 _The drift is driving sairly;_  
 _Sae loud and shrill's I hear the blast,_  
 _I'm sure it's winter fairly._

 _Up in the morning's no for me_  
 _Up in the morning early;_  
 _When a' the hills are cover'd wi'snaw,_  
 _I'm sure it's winter fairly._

 _The birds sit chittering in the thorn,_  
 _A'day they fare but sparely;_  
 _And lang's the night frae e'ev to morn,_  
 _I'm sure it's winter fairly._

 _Up in the morning's no for me,_  
 _Up in the morning early;_  
 _When a' the hills are cover'd wi' snaw,_  
 _I'm sure it's winter fairly.***_

Diana came to congratulate her and exclaimed over her new dress. "Anne, that dress is exquisite. Look at your beautiful sleeves. Turn around and let me see."

Anne twirled around to show her dress off, feeling very happy with herself.

Next the band struck up a song, the Apple Square Tree**** which Joe had been practicing in advance. Ben called out the instructions for the dancers:

"Form a square.  
Heads forwards and back  
Ones through and round  
Do-si-dos  
Allemandes  
Grand chain  
Promenade home."

The band played a few more tunes, then gave everyone a breather. It was a chance to find a drink and catch up on the gossip. Anne found herself standing next to Gilbert. "Hello Anne, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year to you too, Gilbert."

"Care to dance?"

"That would be satisfactory." Anne was inwardly kicking herself, why did she sound so formal? As Ben was calling out for people to join in the next dance Gilbert led Anne out to the dance floor. The band struck up Bridge of Athlone, the steps were quite complicated, but getting it wrong the first few times was half the fun. She was laughing with Gilbert as they stumbled from one step to the next. Anne watched the other dancers carefully and by the end of the dance was feeling quite confident about where she was supposed to be next. As the music came to a crescendo and finished, they all stood around applauding themselves and the musicians. She and Gilbert danced a few more times, gaining in confidence as they went. Up on the stage, Joe could see them dancing, looking like they were having marvellous time.

Ben was checking his pocket watch, and started counting down the year. "Ten, nine, eight", he called out. The rest of the crowd joined in "seven, six, five, four, three, two, one - Happy New Year!" And the band struck up Auld Lang Syne for everyone to link arms and sing:

 _Should auld acquaintance be forgot,_  
 _And never brought to mind?_  
 _Should auld acquaintance be forgot,_  
 _And auld lang syne.*****_

It was time to go home. Everyone put on their overcoats and wrapped up warm. Joe said his farewells to the band and they thanked him, he was even given a bit of money for his work that night. "Here you go Marilla. This is for you." He said.

"No, Joe. I think the first money you earn should be yours. You can start helping us out later. Did you have a good time?"

"I did Marilla. It was wonderful. It was fun watching everyone dancing, knowing I helped them all have a great time."

"Well you can't expect more than that. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. What about you Anne, I saw you dancing with Gilbert Blythe, looks like the two of you are good friends?" Joe looked at her too.

"Yes, we're friends, he's an excellent dancer. Thanks for the music, Joe. You really made the night." Joe pulled her in for a brotherly hug and they climbed into the wagon for the ride home.

* * *

* Swede, a root vegetable

** My family does this every year on Christmas Day, our only concession to a traditional Christmas feast

*** Up in the Morning Early, Robert Burns  
**** I've chosen an American barn dance instead of a Scottish reel. Still with instructions like these, is it any wonder no one ever knows what they're doing?"  
***** Auld Lang Syne, Robert Burns

 _What else would you like to see Joe and Anne get up to? Doesn't have to be from the books, but if you'd like to see the effect Joe has on any situation let me know._


	17. Chapter 17 Monthlies

**Guest** thank you for the prompt, I think this is what you were driving at.

 **Monthlies**

At school one day Anne was suffering from stomach cramps. She had never felt anything like it. A deep muscular pain would grip her deep within her stomach and dissipate, but never completely disappearing. It was increasingly uncomfortable, and she rubbed her stomach, wondering if it was something she ate. It was hard to concentrate on her school work. At home she felt quite grumpy and at dinner she snapped at Joe over something minor. "Anne, that's very rude, please apologise to Joe, that's completely unacceptable behaviour.

Anne took one look at Marilla and burst into tears. "What's wrong, this is unlike you?"

"I don't know what's wrong. May I go to bed Marilla? I don't feel well."

"Yes, that's fine."

"I do hope she's not coming down with something." Marilla remarked to Matthewl later.

* * *

After lunch the next day she felt something warm trickling down her thigh. She asked permission to use the privy. Somewhat grumpily Mr Philips gave her leave.

As Anne turned to go Diana noticed a pink patch on the back of her skirt. She got up at once to follow Anne. "Where do you think you're going Diana? I didn't give you leave."

"I just, ah, may I go too Mr Philips?"

Anne was bewildered. "What's up Diana? Why are you coming too?"

"Shush just walk." As Diana walked she swayed slightly to the side to give Mr Philips a quick glance at the back of Anne's skirt, hoping he would pick up on the problem. Fortunately, even obtuse Mr Philips did notice the slight pink stain forming on the back of Anne's skirt and he let Diana disappear, inwardly congratulating her on her quick thinking.

Once they got outside Diana urgently told Anne, "Just go home, now."

"What? Why?"

"Look" Diana hissed, pointing at Anne's skirts.

Anne twisted around to look at her bottom and was aghast to see the patch.

"Di, am I dying?"

"I don't know. Just go home."

Anne turned and fled. The way home had never seemed longer, she stumbled on the path and nearly landed on her knees, but managed to right herself. She ran past the barn and into the house, straight into Marilla's arms. Marilla was shocked to find a sobbing girl in her arms, when a moment ago she had been mopping the floor.

"Anne, whatever is the matter?"

"I think I'm dying."

As Anne had just run home from school, Marilla doubted that was the case. "What makes you say that?"

"I had a stomach ache all day yesterday, and today I felt something trickling out and now look" she turned around and showed her skirt to Marilla, sobbing all the while.

Marilla's heart sank, as a mother did when their baby grew up just that little bit more; but as she had when Joe had wet the sheets last year, she took it in her stride. Remembering her own reaction all those years ago, she consoled her "Anne, you are not dying." Anne was sobbing too hard to take in her words. "Anne, look at me. You are not dying. It's your menses, your time of the month."

"What does that mean?"

"It's God's way of saying you're growing up. Let's get you cleaned up and I'll tell you all about it." Anne was dismayed and ashamed to see how messy she was under her dress. No wonder she had stained her skirt. "It's all right Anne, you had no control over it." Marilla fetched some rags. "You have to pin these to your undergarments to catch the blood, here I'll show you how. You'll bleed for a few days."

"Why is this happening now? Am I sick?"

"Come to the kitchen, and I'll tell you all about it. When a girl gets to a certain age, around the age you are now, their body gets ready to make babies."

"Babies? I'm not ready to have a child!" Anne had seen too many babies come into the world and was far from ready to have that happen to her.

"I hope you don't have any children for a long time yet, Anne. But your body is ready now. That doesn't mean you will have one, a baby needs a father too. This blood is your body telling you that. Every month until you are in your fifties, unless you are pregnant, you will bleed, it's called menstruation, though I just called it my monthly."

"It happens to you too?"

"It did, for many years. I'm too old for it now." 'Thankfully', she said to herself. "You will find that some of your friends will have started theirs too. After your rag is bloody, you can take it off and wash it in cold water first, and then hot. We have plenty of rags here in the cupboard. Before you get your monthly you might feel a bit irritable, remember you snapped at poor Joe last night. I should have guessed something was up."

"Oh Marilla, it's so unfair. Why did it happen to me?"

"It happens to all women, Anne. Far from saying you're dying, it's telling me that you're very healthy."

"But it sounds so inconvenient."

"Well it is that, I agree."

* * *

When Joe returned home from school he brought in Anne's books. "Marilla is Anne all right? She left school a couple of hours ago. I was worried about her."

"Yes, she's fine, Joe. Thank you for asking. She's resting in bed right now."

"What happened? She left in such a rush, it was all very mysterious."

Marilla looked at him, it was understandable that he would be curious, but there was no way she was going to tell him what was up. "She just felt a little unwell, she'll be fine tomorrow."

"Was she sick last night, too? She was so grumpy, she's not usually like that."

"Yes, that might have been part of it. Now, do you have any chores to do?"

* * *

Anne felt quite embarrassed at school the next day. Bleeding from your privates wasn't something she felt like bragging about. At lunch though, Josie Pye cornered her "Did you get your menses, Anne?" she whispered to her privately, diplomatic for once.

"Yes, I did."

"I got mine a couple of months ago. It's annoying isn't it. Does it hurt?"

"Yes, I had a terrible stomach ache yesterday, it's better today though."

The other girls were intrigued. They had never heard about it. Josie and Anne were slightly proud to be the bearer of bad tidings. The others couldn't believe such a thing could happen to them. Surely it couldn't be quite as bad as Josie and Anne made out. "Why didn't anyone tell us beforehand Josie? I was in complete shock." Anne asked.

"A girl's menses is a private thing, Anne. No one must know about it, it's shameful."

"I really don't know why? Half the population gets them. Marilla says it's God's plan. It shows we're growing up. What's shameful about that?"

"Shh, it just is, Anne. You must never let anyone know you're bleeding, especially not any boys."

"Do boys have to go through anything like this?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Hm, they have all the luck."

* * *

"I must say I don't envy her." Rachel said as she sipped her coffee that afternoon. Why do you think I had so many children?"

"That was a rather drastic response, Rachel."

"Yes, well all that messing about with rags and pins and so forth, and all that washing. The shame of it. Poor Anne. What was Matthew's reaction?"

Marilla didn't think she'd soon forget the look on his face when she informed him that Anne had begun. "But she's so young?" he blurted.

"Well objectively he knew it had to happen sometime. I think he's surprised that she's growing up so fast."

* * *

Anne soon grew accustomed to the build up every month, she made sure she had rags on hand should she get caught short at school. As the rest of her friends started she commiserated with them, as they each were dismayed to find out first hand that she and Josie had not exaggerated.

Later of course, her relationship with her monthlies changed as she either was relieved or dismayed to see it each month.

* * *

A/N In _Anne with an E_ Marilla called Anne's period her 'Womanly Flowering Time'. I've never heard it called that and can't find any reference to it. It seems too romantic a term for Marilla to have invented, or to use.

When researching this story someone remarked that it's bever been so easy to have a period as it is now. If you think of pinning rags to your underclothes, which must have been more difficult when they didn't have a gusset in their petticoats, you can see why.


	18. Chapter 18 A Little Bit of Knowledge

With thanks to **mavors4986** and **Chicken Whisper** for the story ideas.

 **A Little** **Bit** **of** **Knowledge**

What was it Marilla said? Your monthly meant you were able to have a baby, and that the only time you didn't get it was when you were pregnant. Anne's monthly hadn't arrived yet, it was supposed to come every four weeks and that date had passed a couple of days ago. She didn't dare say anything to anyone. She'd get into terrible trouble if she was in the family way at her age and before marriage. How could it have happened? Was it she when she and Gilbert had held hands the other day?

* * *

Mr Philips had split the class into pairs. Joe and Ruby, Di and Fred. He had put her with Gilbert, they had to present a paper on a scientific topic of their choice. Since it was spring, Anne thought it would be interesting to investigate the different ways plants react to the warmer weather. Gilbert seemed happy with that subject. It did mean they had to be outside a fair bit.

The cold air assaulted them as they left the cosy classroom. Anne was happy she'd remembered to wear her extra warm underthings that morning. Spring might be coming, but it was still pretty cold on the island. There were all sorts of small plants springing up through the thawing snow. Snowdrops were flowering, and leaves were just beginning to bud on trees. It was too early for apple blossom, but they could see the buds were just beginning to move on the apple branches. The marsh marigolds were sprouting. The land was just beginning to wake up after its winter slumber. It had meant a lot of scrambling around and she had held Gilbert's hand as he had assisted her on occasion.

* * *

Anne had thought nothing of it, but now her monthly was late. She was terribly anxious; how could she manage a baby at her age? She'd seen enough small babies not to be enchanted by the idea, babies were hard work. Not to mention the terrible shame. They'd send her away for sure.

She was so wrought up she could barely choke down her dinner. Marilla had cooked her favourite pie, but she barely tasted it. "Are you ill Anne, you've barely touched your meal and it's unlike you to be so quiet." Anne flinched when Marilla bent over to check her forehead. "What's the matter, Anne, I'm not going to hurt you?" Anne just shook her head and left the table. She was feeling very guilty and upset at their anticipated reaction.

She so wished she could confide in Diana, but she had had Diana to tea the weekend prior and had inadvertently confused Marilla's raspberry cordial for blackcurrant wine and Diana had gotten drunk. Mrs Barry had found out and barred the girls from any further fraternization. This was just the sort of thing Mrs Barry would have been worried about too, Anne supposed. Another way Anne could besmirch the Barry family by association. Could she bear to tell Joe? No, he would judge her too. She felt utterly isolated.

"Do you think there's something wrong with her?" Marilla asked as they watched Anne ascend the stairs. The men looked confused.

"She does seem troubled." Matthew commented.

"Do you know anything, Joe?" Marilla enquired.

"No. She's been a bit quiet for a couple of days now, but I don't know why."

Marilla left the dishes for later and followed Anne to her bedroom door. "Anne? Anne?" She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. "Anne, is something the matter?"

"No, please leave me alone. I'm just a bit tired."

Marilla walked back down to the kitchen shaking her head. "There's something amiss, but she won't confide in me. I'm worried about her."

Anne was checking herself every few hours, thinking that every twinge must be her monthly starting, but there was nothing in the pot. Was it too soon to start showing? She wished she wore a corset, that would have hidden it for a few months at least. She was terribly distraught to think she would have to leave this glorious home she had finally found. She had heard there were places they sent girls like her.

* * *

Joe walked up to Anne's room before bedtime and barged in not waiting for Anne's permission. There was something up with his sister and he needed to know.

"Joe? What are you doing in here, Joe? Get out."

"No Anne, there's something wrong, I know it. You have to tell me and I'm not leaving until you do."

Anne looked at her brother, ashamed at herself and worried about his reaction. "Joe, um, I think, well I'm not sure, but..."

He looked at her, there was something very wrong if Anne couldn't get the words out. "I think I might be in the family way." She blurted out in a rush.

"What? How? Why?"

"Well you don't know this, but I recently had my menses. You probably don't know what that is, but it means that I can have babies now."

"Is there blood involved?"

"What? Yes, how did you know?"

"Matthew mentioned it to me a while ago."

"Matthew? Why would he be talking about menses?"

"Well he didn't call it that, but I was asking about the changes my body was going through and he said it was worse for you girls and that blood was involved."

"Oh, what changes are you going through?"

"Um, well I'm growing, my voice is squeaky and things are just moving around in general, you know."

"No, I don't know, how could I?"

"Well just stuff."

"Joe, if you know I bleed, I think I could know what's happening to you too."

"Um" Joe blushed a deep pink "I have wet dreams."

"Wet dreams? Does that mean you wet the bed in your sleep? Still at your age?" She smiled.

"Not quite like that, it's not wee, it's um, other stuff."

"What other stuff?"

"Boy stuff. I don't know. So how does getting your menses, is that what it's called, make you pregnant?"

"Oh, well you remember the other day when we all had to do that science project for school. You and Ruby were together and Gilbert and I..." Joe stood up and rushed out the door. Anne called after him, "Joe, it's not like that, he..." Joe ran down the stairs, out the front door and down the road without even thinking. If Blythe had hurt Anne he would kill him. Matthew and Marilla looked up askance as Joe departed the house in a frenzy. Anne came down to see the door swinging shut. "What was all that about Anne?"

"I think he's gone to the Blythe's."

Joe was panting as he ran in the dark. He knew the way in the daylight, but in the full dark of a spring night it was a different matter. He slowed down, as the adrenaline rush started to dissipate, and started to think again. He supposed Blythe could wait until the morning, he wasn't going anywhere. Turning back he saw the lights of Green Gables twinkling like a beacon in the darkness. After a few minutes he returned to the kitchen and his perplexed family. "What was all that about Joe?"

"Nothing, I just thought I heard something outside, but it was nothing." He pretended to yawn and stretched his arms out wide. "Well I'm exhausted, I better go to bed, I guess."

Marilla and Matthew stood in the kitchen most confused. Anne bid them goodnight too and walked back up to her bedroom. Matthew turned to Marilla and asked "What was all that about?" Marilla shook her head.

* * *

Anne skipped into the kitchen the next morning. "Good morning Marilla, what a beautiful day it is. I'm starving, what's for breakfast?"

"You're chipper this morning Anne."

"Yes Marilla, my monthly arrived."

"Is that a time for joy? You surprise me."

"Well, it was just that it came a bit later than I expected, and… " Uh oh, she might have let too much information go.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I just, um." Anne looked at Marilla.

"Have you done something that makes you think anything might have happened, Anne?" Marilla thought this was highly unlikely, but she had to know what Anne talking about.

"Um, well I held hands with Gilbert when we were on a school field trip last week. Then my monthly didn't come when I expected it. So, I thought…"

"What did you think?" Marilla was perplexed.

"I thought maybe I was in the family way."

Marilla nearly burst into laughter, except Anne looked so serious. "Oh, Anne darling, you can't make a baby just by holding hands. I suppose I didn't give you enough information about that did I?"

Anne shook her head. "Ruby Gillis said her big sister said you could make a baby when you kissed and I thought maybe holding hands might be enough too."

"Come and sit by me, Anne. Don't worry about school. I'll just tell Joe you're not well." When she returned she sat down beside Anne and faced her. "This is a lesson Mr Philips won't be teaching you anytime soon, and judging by your worries over last few days, you need it. There is only one way you can make a baby. You have to have intercourse with a man, this will happen when you're married. I have to tell you, it is unusual for a girl to know this at your age, but as you can see, I've never been the most traditional of parents."

"What's intercourse?"

"Well Anne, I expect you've changed enough diapers to know that boys are built differently to girls."

"Yes."

"Intercourse is when the man puts his member inside the lady's privates."

"Oh!" Anne's eyes went wide, and she put her hand to her mouth in shock.

"Yes, we were all made in that way. Your parents did it and my parents too. You might want to keep this knowledge to yourself, your friend's parents may not want their children to know this yet."

"But why, what's wrong with knowledge, isn't it always best to know?"

"Folks are just a bit squeamish when it comes to intercourse, Anne. It's a very personal thing. Leave this to your friends' parents, or we'll all be in a world of trouble."

"If you say so, Marilla."

"Anne, why did you think you couldn't confide in me when you thought you might be pregnant?"

"I was so scared Marilla, I'm not used to trusting people. This is the first place I've lived that I can do that. It doesn't come naturally to me, you know it's hard to let go of that feeling.

Marilla, took Anne's hand in her own. "Can you tell me a little about your life before?"

Anne looked at her, gathering her thoughts. Then she started speaking in a small voice, so that Marilla had to strain to hear. It was so seldom Anne confided in her about her childhood. Marilla knew she'd been orphaned at an early age, but the years between that and her arrival at Avonlea were virtually a blank.

"First of all, I lived with the Thomas's. I was only little then of course, but as soon as I was old enough they put me to work looking after their four children. I was never loved like their children were, I was always kept apart. They never treated me like one of the family. I never had a childhood."

Marilla wanted to cry, but she didn't dare interrupt.

"I had to get up before anyone else, set the fires and empty their chamber pots. I started changing diapers when I was four. When I was eight Mr Thomas died and they sent me to the Hammond's. I cooked and minded their eight children, including changing all the diapers. I had to clean the house, milk, chop wood, fetch water and launder clothes. I always had chilblains in winter, they were so painful, Marilla.

The problem was that I'd get caught up in daydreams, you know how I can do that Marilla? One time I got distracted in a beautiful daydream about Princess Cordelia high in her turret waiting for her prince to come and rescue her. When I burnt the dinner, Mrs Hammond screamed that I was a lazy good-for-nothing and when Mr Hammond came home he thrashed me with his belt. I was only nine Marilla."

Marilla nodded, the tears welling up in her eyes.

"They were awfully poor, often we all went to bed hungry, but sometimes they withheld food as punishment. I'd have to cook for the others, but I wouldn't get any for myself. The children knew I was inferior, so they wouldn't let me play with them and they wouldn't obey me if I tried to get them to bed or to eat their dinner and I'd get beaten for that too.*

Then Mr Hammond died, and they sent me to the asylum, that wasn't much better. It was overcrowded, the staff were strict and the children were mean. You know what it was like there, remember Marilla?"

Marilla was shocked, all she could do was hug Anne and let her know she was safe and that nothing bad would ever happen to her again.

"You know Marilla, I think I would like to go to school now. I haven't really been concentrating on school work for the last couple of days, I hate to get behind.

After she left, Marilla sought out Matthew in the field to relay the conversation she'd just had. Her tears were freely flowing "I just can't see why anyone would abuse a small child like that Matthew. She was defenceless."

* * *

On the track to school, just out of earshot of the school room, Joe ran up to Gilbert. When Gilbert saw him he was just about to bid him good morning when Joe punched him hard in the stomach. "Ouf" Gilbert sank to his knees. Unlike the time Joe hit him when he first came to school, it hurt. Joe was not the small fry he had been back then, but an almost fully grown man now. They were far more evenly matched, but Joe had the element of surprise. Still once he had got over his shock Gilbert fought back. The boys wrestled on the ground. The other children saw the boys fighting and formed a ring around them, chanting "Fight, fight, fight." "What's it about, does anyone know?" everyone was asking. As far as they knew Gilbert and Joe were good friends, something must have happened, and where was Anne? Eventually Gilbert got Joe in a headlock and he yelled at him, "Why did you start it? What have I done?"

"You know, you bastard." growled Joe.

"Let's just say I don't. I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

"It's Anne, you got Anne in trouble."

"What? I did no such thing. Anne's fine. What are you talking about."

The children were intrigued at this development. Anne was in trouble? What sort of trouble? They broke into their friendship groups to discuss this latest development, ignoring the boys still writhing on the ground. All conversations followed a similar path. That orphan girl had done something now. Gilbert was a respectable boy, he must be blameless.

This was the scene Anne innocently sauntered into when she arrived slightly later than the rest of the class. She could see them all massed on the path just before the school yard. All eyes turned to her. She of course had no idea what was happening, she couldn't see the figures on the ground though the crowd. The children parted for her when she reached them. She saw Gilbert and Joe still wrestling on the ground and assumed it was about her and the conversation with Joe last night. "Joe! Gilbert! Stop it, stop fighting."

"He started it, call him off." Gilbert yelled.

"Joe, stop it. It's all right. I'm not in any trouble. I had a talk with Marilla. Joe let him go, please."

Joe looked at her "Really?"

"Yes really. Get up."

Joe looked at Gilbert and put his hands up in conciliation. They scrambled up from the muddy ground. "Sorry Gilbert. Apparently I got the wrong idea."

"Wow, well try not to do that anymore okay. Your wrong ideas always seem to end up with me getting hit."

Anne pulled the boys away from the crowd to explain in private. "Look Gilbert, something happened, I can't tell you what, and I thought I was in trouble. I told Joe some of the story and he got the wrong idea. You didn't do anything. Joe, what I was worried about couldn't have happened. We need to have a chat at home tonight. I really am very sorry for causing all this commotion."

That afternoon at home, Anne told Joe that though she appreciated his actions, he had to stop defending her every time she thought something had happened.  
"I can't keep confiding in you, if I think you're going to fly off the handle every time. Please don't do that." Joe agreed, after all he had hit Gilbert twice now, the first time maybe he deserved it, but this time he had apparently been innocent. He quite liked Gilbert after all, though Anne was his sister. He'd do anything to keep her safe. "So you can't make a baby that way?"

"No, I think you need to have a chat with Marilla or Matthew.

* * *

* If this passage seems familiar, it's because it was lifted from a previous story, but this Anne has not confided in Marilla and Matthew before. Her experience would have been the same though.


	19. Chapter 19 Anne to the Rescue

**Anne to the Rescue**

Ugh! Despite my machinations, I find myself sitting opposite Marilla Cuthbert after all. Of all the people. We haven't spoken since the girls' disastrous afternoon tea a month ago, and I'm not in the least bit sorry about it. Of course, I've seen her around, at church and the store and well, I had to attend the Ladies' Aid, but we've had barely nodded in each other's direction.

But after all my Diana was being led astray by that red-haired ne'er-do-well. Drunk? My daughter is not allowed to drink. It will besmirch her virtue if it ever gets out. It was confusing enough when peculiar Marilla Cuthbert had taken in those waifs. It seems out of character for such a quiet couple to adopt two children, of all things. Then Anne turned out to be eccentric herself, and not in a good way. She's looking at me again. I blame Marilla for letting Anne host the party in the first place and Anne for serving that wine.

I felt it was the neighborly thing to introduce the girls, they are the same age, and she lives nearby. Of course, I needed to vet her myself, to ensure that she was a suitable playmate for my sweet Diana. Diana was bamboozled, as it seemed everyone else was, by Anne's romantic ways. Certainly, the Cuthbert's seem to have taken leave of their senses. If it had been me, Anne would have been on the next train back to the asylum after the tea party fiasco. Joe seems like a good reliable lad and helpful for Matthew. Whereas Anne I'm sure, is destined to turn out immoral, like most red heads.

Thinking about it, Diana has changed since Anne arrived in Avonlea. The problem is, that all the spark disappeared from Diana when I was forced to separate them. My previously happy girl has transformed into a quiet girl, dutiful too. I should be happy, I know, but privately, deep down I miss the girl who flourished under Anne's influence. Do I really want my daughter to be meek and mild all her life? I want her to be ladylike, that's true, but not completely submissive.

* * *

I think Marilla's smirking at me now. Come to think of it, she must be, for at church the other day wasn't Anne wearing a brand-new dress? Far from being in trouble, it appeared they had bought her a fancy frock. It was as though the Cuthbert clan were laughing at me.

Our trip was first suggested at the Ladies Aid. Mrs Harmon Andrews had seen a flyer promoting the Premier's speech when she was shopping. Everyone was very excited, murmurs went around the meeting at the suggestion. A trip to Charlottetown was proposed and almost everyone was on board. If nothing else a holiday in the big town, without the children was an enticing prospect, I admit. I'm not particularly interested in politics, but a chance to see our esteemed leader and enjoy a spot of shopping is always welcomed.

* * *

The station was bustling with the crowd and I found myself clinging to William's arm in case we were separated. The train arrived chugging and puffing out steam. I admit I jumped when it blew its whistle. It's crowded, but comfortable as we booked seats in advance. The train is sumptuously appointed with scarlet velvet seats and windows that let you watch the passing scenery. I believe some people open them on hot days, but today the train is well heated in this chilly weather and I'm happy for it to be stuffy but warm within.

I'm not sure how many opportunities Marilla has had to take trains. The foolish woman was just taking her seat when the train lurched propelling her forward, she fell and landed with her hands on my shoulders, our faces just inches apart. It took a few seconds for her to regain her balance. She apologized profusely, stood up and sat back down, facing me. "Are you better now Marilla?" I asked as politely as I could manage under the circumstances.

"I do apologise, I was taken by surprise is all." How does she manage to sound so smug, even when she is in the wrong?

It was just my luck for my monthly to turn up now. It's a messy business and of course I can never let William know, that would not be ladylike. It feels damp down there, it must be heavy this week. What a bother, I'll have to make my way to the privy soon. Best be quick about it too, I don't want anyone to worry about me. I always carry some rags about my person, as any lady must. Imagine being caught short? That would be mortifying.

It's quite relaxing sitting on the train, listening to the chug chug of the engines; if you listen hard enough you can hear the engine saying 'I think I can, I think I can'. The carriage is gently rocking. Occasionally the whistle blows which is keeping me from falling asleep, but I'm warm and comfortable, I think I could manage a short n…

Oh, a jolt woke me up. "Where are we William?"

"Bright River, dearest, go back to sleep." I'm just about to do so, when I see that dratted woman looking at me again. It's most annoying to have her staring at me with those sharp blue eyes, they're boring into me.

* * *

Well that was a lovely trip, and no mistake. I do enjoy the opportunity to take in the Charlottetown shops. They're always full of such lovely things that we don't see in tiny Avonlea. That's the drawback to living in such a small place. The Premier spoke very well, and it was a wonderful experience to hear him. I'm not sure how I feel about women's suffrage? Is it proper that a woman be granted the right to vote? I feel our husbands have our best wishes at heart. I can't be bothered worrying my head about all this political stuff. We have enough to worry about as it is, what with women's problems, and running the house. I don't want to concern myself with politics too, I'll just leave it in William's hands.

It's bad enough that girls are getting more education these days. I can't see the point. My Diana won't be leaving Avonlea. She'll be staying right here and finding a good boy with whom to settle down. Maybe she will find someone nice, especially now that the foundling won't be filling her head with romantic notions of goodness knows what. No, Diana just needs a nice dependable boy and to provide me with grandchildren; a grandson would be lovely even though he won't carry the Barry name. I'm getting ahead of myself now, aren't I. Oops I do tend to do that. Diana is only thirteen after all, she's got about five years yet before we need to think of that.

Is that the station approaching? Time to gather our luggage and get off the train. William is always such a help at these times. It is lovely to have a husband to help one. I see Marilla has to do all this herself , though it looks as though Thomas Lynde is helping her. He is a gentleman, since has his own wife to look after too, poor man. Imagine being married to Rachel Lynde all these years? What a ridiculous number of children they had. I'm perfectly happy with my two, thank you very much. Sleeping in separate beds was the best decision we ever made, keeps that side of things to a minimum.

Here we are on the sleigh back home. My William packed all our luggage on the back, though that meant I had to clamber into the sleigh by myself, I do hope Marilla doesn't fall on top of me again. She seems to be sitting far enough away, thank goodness. That was a lovely excursion, but I find I have missed my dear girls. I hope they were safe and well without us, I'm sure nothing could have been amiss. We have only been away about 30 hours after all.

* * *

She's safe! My baby is safe, thank the Good Lord above. Of course, I always knew that Anne Shirley was a Godsend. She has a good head on her shoulders, that child. Relief doesn't begin to describe how I felt, as I hugged my darling Minnie May to my breast after I got home. Now I'll just put on my shawl and make my way over to Green Gables to thank dear Anne for her help last night. From the sounds of it she saved my baby's life. Of course, I see now that I acted in haste separating Diana from dear Anne. I shall have to make amends for that. I hope Marilla and Anne can forgive me.


	20. Chapter20 Coming to Grief

I really struggled with this and it's had several drafts. But then someone mentioned the word villain on the radio and aha, I had a lightbulb moment. I love your feedback. **Chicken Whisper** , I'm enjoying your reviews, if you sign in, we can chat.

 **Coming to Grief in an Affair of Honor**

"Hmm." Marilla sighed.

Matthew looked up from his newspaper. "How's that?"

"Nothing." Marilla paused in her sewing. "It's just I was thinking about your choice to find some help. You know, I think that was the best decision you ever made, brother."

"Why thank you." Matthew was surprised, it wasn't often Marilla paid him a compliment.

"Yes, when I think back to our life before, you know a couple of years ago. It was silent in this house, and let's face it, deathly dull."

"These children have brought Green Gables, and us, to life haven't they." Matthew stated.

"They have indeed. Though I've never known anyone for getting into scrapes like our Anne. When I saw her green hair, I laughed fit to burst. Only Anne could manage something quite so ridiculous."

"We-ll I dunno about that."

"What?" Marilla questioned.

"You got into some scrapes when you were young Em, I'd say you two were kindred spirits all right."

"Me? I'll have you know I was a paragon of virtue!"

Matthew snorted at that and replied in a whisper "haircut", as unbidden an image came into his mind, of Marilla with her hair shorn short on one side of her head.

Marilla shot him a look "It was just the once and I was very young." She giggled "At least in my case, it remained the same colour. They're so different the two of them. Joe has a sturdy softness to him. I do love that boy." Marilla added.

"And Anne?"

"Who could fail to love our Anne? Joe is just not quite so flamboyant."

"I think Anne's rubbing off on you Em. You wouldn't have used that word in any capacity two years ago."

"No, I probably wouldn't have. Well that's enough sewing for now, my eyes are getting tired." She packed up her needle and thread, folded the clothing she had been working on, a new shirt for the ever-growing Joe. She took up her lamp and smiling, wished Matthew a good night.

As he watched her go, Matthew thought about her words. He was smitten with Anne, that was certain. What a lovely young creature she was. From the first moment he laid eyes on her, he knew she would have to live with them or his life would be incomplete. Joe was a different sort of beast. Quiet, hardworking, but with a steadiness about him. It had taken too long, but finally he was a father and he reveled in it.

* * *

Josie Pye had noticed the fair headed Joe Franklin when he first appeared at the Avonlea school. At first, he slotted in with all the other annoying boys. Sure, he'd punched Gilbert a couple of times, in fact Gilbert had taken to flinching whenever Joe appeared in a long-standing joke which many people appreciated. Not Josie though; she thought boys were ridiculous.

Lately however she had become increasingly aware of Joe. He was growing into a handsome boy. She knew all the boys of course, had grown up with them all. She found their small-town ways deathly dull. Joe having come from somewhere more exotic had a sophisticated air about him, or so she with her limited experience, thought.

Almost without conscious thought Josie decided to set her cap at Joe; they had practically the same name. Sometimes in bed she idly thought about babies; how many, of which sex. If she married Joe all their baby's names could start with J; Josephine, Joseph, naturally, John, Jack, Jeremiah, Jacqueline, Juliet. Not that Josie wanted to saddle herself with that many babies, these were just all the J names she could think up, off the top of her head. At school Josie would invite Joe to spend lunch with her, she became quite a flirt and Joe, to be polite would sit by her as she commented and criticised their class mates. He wouldn't say much, but he had been brought up to be a gentleman, so he felt he had to listen to her, even if he didn't agree. He didn't enjoy her company, but she insisted and he found himself with her almost all his spare time.

It got so bad he dreaded school. He would fake a stomach ache on some days just to get out of seeing her. Marilla was quite worried about him and on the verge of calling the doctor when he pulled the stunt for the fifth time; when Matthew piped up. "You don't think it could be girl troubles do you?"

Marilla looked at him askance.

"I recall Harriet Pye was interested in me when we were young, it made me sick to my stomach. She pushed me too hard, maybe the same thing's happening to Joe?"

"Do you want to have a chat with him?" Marilla suggested.

Matthew knocked on Joe's door and let himself in, he sat on the end of the bed with Joe curled up under his bedclothes. Joe didn't acknowledge his presence, so Matthew just started talking about his experience with Harriet Pye, all those years ago. She had taken a fancy to him. Matthew was as deathly petrified of girls then as he was now. His parents had told him to be a gentleman around women, but Harriet made him dreadfully uncomfortable. As he spoke, Joe straightened up and Matthew could tell that he was listening. "Its difficult isn't it, when a girl notices you, and you're not interested?" Joe nodded. "We have to come up with a polite way to put her off. You don't want to cause offence, but you don't want to be around her either, huh?"

A muffled "Yeah" came out from under the covers.

"I suppose you've outright told her you're not interested?"

"She just giggled and told me I didn't know my own mind. That a boy like me was lucky to have someone like her, interested in them."

"Boy like you, what did that mean?" Matthew was curious.

"An orphan, I guess."

Not much made Matthew Cuthbert mad, but someone belittling his son did. He pulled down the covers to look Joe directly in the face. "Son, you have nothing to be ashamed of. I won't let her make you feel that way. We are your parents now, you are just good as anyone on this island. If they want to make a fuss about it, they can direct their comments to Marilla and me. I can assure you Marilla won't let them get away with a comment like that."

Joe grinned, he had had occasion to witness Marilla in full flight and it was a thing of fear if it was directed at you; or beauty if it was in your defense.

"Yeah all right."

"Are you hungry, Joe?"

Feeling much relieved that Matthew understood him, Joe could feel his stomach rumbling "I'm famished."

"Good, Marilla will be pleased. She's baked a pie."

* * *

The children had a successful term of school. Anne had nearly caught up with Joe and was pleased with her progress. It was a surprise at the end of the year to hear that Mr Philips had been asked to move on. They did not yet know the name of his successor. Anne hoped for a new, invigorating teacher. Although she was not allowed to voice it at home, she did not think Mr Philips was a particularly good instructor. He had spent too much time mooning over Prissy Andrews. If she or Joe mentioned his shortcomings at home, Marilla would chastise them. To her, a teacher was akin to a god and in any case, children should never criticize their elders.

Joe had been adopted into the town band and was often contacted by Ben Trickleback. He was pleased to play and enjoyed exploring the different parts of the island. Almost every second Saturday Ben would pick him up in his buggy and they'd travel off to one town or another. Joe also felt better about his inability to help out at harvest time now that he was contributing financially. Unbeknownst to him, Marilla wasn't spending all his money, instead keeping some by for his education should he need it later.

* * *

It was the end of term and Diana had invited their class to afternoon tea to celebrate. Daring was the fashionable amusement among the Avonlea small fry just then. Having been dared to walk the board fence and done so perfectly, Josie dared Anne to walk the ridgepole of Mr Barry's kitchen roof. Joe interceded "I absolutely forbid you to do it Anne. It's too dangerous. If you want someone to do it Josie, it'll have to be you."

"It's a matter of honor Joe." Anne insisted.

"It's a matter of not getting killed Anne. If you do it, I'll never speak to you again. I'll, I'll disown you as my sister."

That gave Anne pause, as Josie flung her hair and stated nastily, "Well you two aren't really siblings are you."

Everyone stared at her, open mouthed. It was well known that although Joe and Anne weren't technically brother and sister, their bond was incredibly tight. For Josie to outright state that they weren't actually related was considered below the belt. Josie sensing that her remark hadn't gone down well decided then and there to break the mood by climbing up a ladder to the ridge poll. _She balanced herself uprightly on that precarious footing and started to walk along it, dizzily conscious that she was uncomfortably high up in the world. Nevertheless, she managed to take several steps before the catastrophe came. Then she swayed, lost her balance, stumbled, staggered and fell, sliding down over the sun-baked roof and crashing off it through the tangle of Virginia creeper beneath – all before the dismayed circle below could give a simultaneous, terrified shriek._

All the assembled party on the ground saw, was her stumbling and disappearing over the far side of the building. They found Josie _lying all white and limp among the wreck and ruin of the Virginia creeper._

Mrs Pye saw Mr Barry carrying her Josie, all limp and pale in his arms. Her reaction was one of supreme annoyance. What had the dratted girl got up to this time? "You fool of a girl, what have you done to yourself? And at the beginning of the vacation too. Best take her to bed Mr Barry. I can't believe you would be so foolish to ruin our vacation, young lady." Josie felt utterly miserable, she was in pain and there was no sympathy at home either. In trying to gain the upper moral hand, she had made an utter fool of herself. She supposed Joe Franklin would have nothing to do with her hereafter either. It was a terrible way to end the school year. Tears of frustration came to her eyes even as her ankle throbbed.


	21. Chapter 21 Letters from Charlottetown

_You suggest I deliver, **Chicken Whisper**._

* * *

Charlottetown  
PEI

August 25

Dear Marilla

What a delightful young man your Joe is. I have enjoyed having him to stay. I am so happy I was able to 'rescue' him from dusty Avonlea during the harvest. He has told me in some detail of his difficulties last year. It sounded positively ghastly, poor lad. This is certainly the better alternative. I propose we make this an annual occurrence.

Now, I hope you do not take this the wrong way Marilla, but whilst he has been here I have taken the liberty of procuring music lessons for young Joe. M. Archet comes highly recommended. Don't make a fuss Marilla dear, it was my pleasure to give Joe these lessons, I have plenty of money and M. Archet says Joe has a real gift for music.

Marilla, I would like to invite you, Matthew and Anne here to my house in Charlottetown. You can come for a few days and take Joe home with you. I do hope you can take the time to come visit, I feel it has been too long since we had a good catch up.

With fondest regards

Josephine Barry

*.*.*

Green Gables  
Avonlea

26 August

Dear Josephine

Thank you for your very kind offer. We are delighted to accept. We will arrive on the 2.00 o'clock train on 28 August.

Yours very truly

Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert

*.*.*

Charlottetown  
PEI

August 31

Dearest Diana

How strange it feels to be staying with Miss Barry in her magnificent mansion without you here to share it with me. I do hope you aren't too too jealous. I have the right hand bedroom and Joe is well ensconced in the left hand one. Matthew and Marilla have rooms down the hall.

I know you are used to it Diana dearest, but it is very strange and delightful for Joe and I to be waited upon. If you had told me two years ago that I would have my dinner served by a servant from a silver salver, I would have laughed in your face. It is as though Princess Cordelia has come to life, this could only occur in my wildest imaginings.

Last night our meal included spitched eel, a delicacy I admit I had not dreamed of prior, let alone eaten. May I say despite my initial misgivings, it is delicious. I found it tasted better if I closed my eyes before I ate it, the green flaky skin is not beautiful, but the flesh is very tasty.

When you write to Miss Barry yourself, please tell her how grateful the Cuthbert family are for this glimpse of another world. It will sustain my daydreams henceforth.

Your bosom friend and kindred spirit

Anne

*.*.*

Charlottetown  
PEI

1 September

Dear Rachel

I admit I cannot quite believe the events of the last few days. Having received Josephine Barry's invitation, Matthew was at first unsure that he could leave the stock, but young Gilbert Blythe has agreed to look after them whilst we are gone from Green Gables. We packed our bags and made our way to Josephine's mansion in Charlottetown and what a house it is. I am a simple country girl at heart, as you know Rachel, but even my heart soared at the sight.

Josephine and I have enjoyed many chats whilst we have been here. She is well read and has given me some lovely novel suggestions. She is so sweet with the children. Being their mother, I feel as though I have to be stern, always pointing them in the moral direction, Josephine has no such hindrances. Which is not to say that she is in any way immoral, more that she can enjoy their company without impediment.

She has very generously paid for music lessons for young Joe, I think they have an affinity, maybe it's because they share a name. In any case he has played for us on a couple of occasions and I must say his musical prowess has certainly improved. Ben Trickleback will be impressed I am sure. I do not know if Joe wishes to take his music further at this stage, but it is something to keep in the back of our minds.

With best wishes

Marilla

*.*.*

Charlottetown  
PEI

1 September

Dearest Diana

My darling I must tell you about our magnificent afternoon just gone. Poor Marilla was not feeling well, a slight headache* she said. We all know of her affliction and did not press her to join us on our outing, instead I kissed her farewell as she lay in her darkened bedroom. She said she was sorry to miss out on our expected adventures, but she felt sure I would tell her all about it when I returned. But first, I will tell you my dearest, as Marilla is still asleep.

Have you ever seen a Magic Lantern Show? I am sure a girl of your sophistication has, but I assure you it was an eye opening experience for the three of us. To be honest, I am not sure that Marilla would have approved, but Matthew is not so stern and was himself quite curious.

In this case it was a Phantasmagoria show. It was held in a old theatre. We walked in and were greeted by dark passages decorated with mysterious pictures. Walking skeletons lead us to a catacomb lit by a single lamp. We sat facing a screen. After a brief description by the showman the lamp went out while thunder roared, lightning flashed and church bells tolled. I admit I clutched Matthew and Joe's hands rather tightly while all around me I could hear women screaming. A tiny figure, half human, half demon appeared in the air, all shimmering and ghostly. I couldn't bear to watch and I couldn't bear to not watch, if you get my drift Diana. The figure seemed to approach gradually, growing larger and larger until suddenly it disappeared with a wail. Bats fluttered on the walls, ghosts and goblins groaned, and it appeared as though skeletons came hurtling towards us. I gasped and I believe some women fainted.

It made our old haunted valley seem quite tame by comparison, I can assure you Diana. Afterwards we walked out into the bright sunlight and looked at each other in amazement. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it. Matthew declared that we needed a treat afterwards and took us out for a calming iced treat.

I will tell Marilla about some of it when she awakens, but I'm not sure which bits.

Your kindred spirit, no strike that after the events of today I will remain, your bosom chum,

Anne

*.*.*

Green Gables  
Avonlea

7 September

Dear Miss Barry

I'm not even sure if I can put my gratitude into words. My time with you was like a dream. Your kindness knows no bounds and I will certainly take you up on your offer next year. I must admit when I compare my experiences of the last two years, escaping the harvest to stay with you is infinitely the preferable option. Partly because I like to breathe, but in equal measure is the inestimable joy I feel in your excellent company Miss Barry. Perhaps that is presumptuous of me to express, but it is certainly true.

It was good to get back to Green Gables. As much as I love Charlottetown, I do enjoy the countryside too, at least when the harvest is not in full swing. We have reunited with our school mates and are readying ourselves for a new school year. A new teacher has been appointed and we all very excited to make her acquaintance. Yes, we are to have a woman teacher, I think for the first time in Avonlea. The Ladies Aid are quite shocked. I am sure I can picture your smile Miss Barry, you are far more progressive than they.

Please inform M. Archet that I am continuing my music practice and I'm booked to play for the next six weekends at dances all over the Island.

I remain

Yours truly

Joe Franklin

* * *

* Was it a headache or was Marilla feigning one in favour of afternoon delights with Josephine Barry? There is more to these buttoned up Victorians than we give them credit for. I will leave it up to your imagination, dear reader.


	22. Chapter 22 Fly Like the Wind

For **kslchen** who loves horses.

 **Fly like the Wind**

Gilbert and Fred were teaching Joe to ride a horse. Joe had been quite nervous at first. He hesitated to tell the boys, but inwardly he was petrified. Horses were large, powerful beasts and he couldn't fathom how someone his size could make one do as he wished. Surely, it'd buck him off in a trice. Leaving him on the ground with a broken leg, or worse? But first Gilbert, and then Fred reassured him that that rarely happened. Anyway the horse they were going to teach him on was the calmest animal that ever lived. Joe wasn't sure if they were teasing or what. Fred grinned at Gilbert as he promised Joe that it would be all right. That smile alone worried him even more.

The following Wednesday, Gilbert turned up at Green Gables on horseback, leading a pretty, chestnut filly, "Her name's Merrijig", he announced proudly, "isn't she a beauty? I borrowed her from the Barrys, they said you could keep her while you're learning."

"Is she, is she big enough for me?" Joe asked, hoping that she might be considered too small and the riding lesson would be off for the day.

"She's plenty big enough, don't you worry about her." Gilbert reassured Joe, totally mistaking his qualms. "We're going to have a little lesson here in the yard and later we'll go out for a ride. Fred will join us later." While he was talking Anne came out to watch, she was intrigued about the whole process. Gilbert went on to describe the ins and outs of saddling a horse; which side to use for mounting and then instructed Joe to put his left foot in the stirrup. "What?" Joe gasped.

"Just take a hold of the reins and put your left foot up there in the stirrup and then swing up onto the horse's back. I'll demonstrate." Joe watched on in awe as he saw Gilbert swing into place. "It's easy, now your go."

Joe put his foot in the stirrup and with a mighty push off with his other leg found himself sitting on the top of the horse. In fact, he put rather too much effort into it, and nearly fell off the other side. The horse moved uneasily under him. "Woah girl, woah there." Gilbert calmed her. Joe swayed in the saddle, afraid of looking like a fool. Anne smiled encouragingly at him. The horse side-stepped a little and Gilbert took its reins. "Now Joe, just take the reins in your hand like this", he demonstrated, "and give her a little nudge with your heels."

Feeling very unsafe and high up on the unsteady beast Joe said "Just give me a moment Blythe." When he felt ready, Joe nudged his ankles back gently and the filly walked forwards. "Wow, she's moving?"

"What did you expect would happen?" Gilbert replied with a grin.

Joe was speechless as he felt the raw power of the horse underneath him. The warm, fluid body was like nothing he had ever felt before. It had a strange smell too, quite different from a cow's. Merrijig continued to walk around the yard as Gilbert directed Joe how to steer her. After he had walked around the yard a few times, getting used to the feel of the horse's stride, Gilbert told him to move his upper body in time with the horse's gait. "You look a bit like a sack of potatoes up there, Joe." He watched Joe as he swayed back and forth with the horse. "That's better." Next Gilbert suggested they go a bit faster. "Give her another nudge with your heels. I'll warn you though, it'll be bumpier now."

"Oh my, what's this?" Joe asked as he bumped around on the horses back.

"She's trotting, I know it's pretty bouncy, just go with the flow and grip on with your thighs." As Joe was trotting around, Fred turned up on his horse, grinning to see Joe riding the filly. He waved.

"What do you think, should we take him out?" Fred suggested.

"All right, are you ready to go out on the open road, Franklin?

"I, I guess so."

Anne ran over to the open the gate while Gilbert mounted his horse and together the three boys rode out onto the road. Anne felt crestfallen as she watched the backs of the horses, their tails swishing as they walked away in the afternoon sunshine.

"How did you like trotting, Joe?" Fred asked.

"It was too bouncy for me."

"All right, let's try a canter then, that's smoother" and with that Fred gave Merrijig a slap on her rump, and the horse bounded away with some speed.

"What, what?" Poor Joe was hanging on for grim life as the horse cantered down the road, but as they went he could feel it was a evener gait than the trot, despite being faster. The others were cantering alongside him. As they went he felt the wind rushing past him. The boys were whooping and hollering as they all cantered down the road. "Want to go faster?" Fred called.

"There's faster?"

"Sure."

Fred kicked his horse on and Merrijig followed suit, soon the three of them were galloping down the road.

It was exhilarating. Joe's hat had fallen off ages ago, the wind was blowing his hair about and his eyes were watering. He was leaning forward, watching Merrijig's ears prick forwards as she ran. The speed was terrifying and incredible, like he was flying; he'd never travelled as fast in his life. They travelled some distance before Fred pulled his horse down to a canter and then a walk, Joe had no such luck as Merrijig galloped past the others, completely out of control. Fred glanced over at Gilbert and they set off after their friend. Fred's horse was larger and faster so he soon overtook Merrijig. Fred was able to reach over and grab the reins and pull the horse to slow down.

"Sorry about that Joe. You did great though. You stuck on. What did you think?"

A breathless Joe gasped "It was amazing, I never knew I could go that fast. Shit, I lost my hat."

Gilbert laughed, "It's miles back, we'll pick it up on the way home." On the way back Gilbert remarked "Just a warning Franklin, your arse and your legs are going to be on fire tomorrow. I'd use some liniment tonight."

"Really? It feels fine now."

"Oh yeah" Fred agreed, "Your bum's gonna hurt like billy-oh, liniment helps some. Ask Matthew or Marilla to help."

"I reckon I'll do it myself, but thanks for the advice."

Back at the home gate, Fred waved them both goodbye and promised he'd be back another day.

* * *

Marilla absolutely forbade Anne to ride a horse. She declared it too dangerous for little girls. Girls on Prince Edward Island did not ride horses, though boys were free to do so. Anne felt this state of affairs was quite unfair, Merrijig seemed like such a sweet little horse.

After Joe came in from his riding lesson, Anne made her way out to the back field where Merrijig was grazing. She had brought a carrot with her in an attempt at making a friend of the horse. She had not thought about a bridle or saddle, though she did have a rope halter. She had seen boys riding bareback, and she thought that looked lovely. Hiking her skirts up she approached the horse gently, talking to it all the while. "Good evening Merrijig, I just want to have a little ride on your back, do you mind? I barely weigh anything at all, I'm sure you can manage it, you are such a beautiful animal." Merrijig looked up from her grass and smelled the carrot. She took one step towards Anne. Anne placed the halter over her nose and ears. Then grabbing one end of the rope Anne walked over to the horse's flank. With a big leap she landed with her belly halfway up the horse's back. Merrijig backed away a pace or two, but Anne clung on. She managed to scooch up onto the back, but she overdid it and found herself falling off the other side.* Despite trying desperately to hang on, she found herself lying in the grass on the other side of the horse who stood there looking at her.

"Drat!" Anne got to her feet and attempted to jump up again, this time she managed better and found herself sitting upright on Merrijig's back. She kicked the flanks with her boots and Merrijig trotted down the paddock. It was bumpy, oh so bumpy and Anne could feel herself slipping to one side, unable to grip any longer she fell off to the side while the horse trotted off.

She tried to stand back up and immediately felt a terrible pain in her right ankle, "Ouch". She'd landed badly. Anne didn't think she'd be able to walk on it and she was a fair way from the house. Anne soon found out just how difficult it was to crawl in a skirt. Painstakingly in the growing dusk she made her way back home. Her initial joy that Merrijig was housed in the back field soon turned to dismay. Her dress was ruined, she supposed, and her ankle ached horribly.

* * *

When Anne did not come in at suppertime Marilla began to worry. She went out to the back door and peered into the gloom. Her eyesight was not wonderful so she could see nothing. "Anne" she called. "Anne are you there?" Was that something? "Anne" with increasing concern. "Anne!" She listened hard. Yes, there was a faint reply. Matthew was washing up at the sink, she turned to him. "Can you hear anything out here, I can't find Anne." They both called and when he heard an answering squeak, he dashed off in the same direction; followed somewhat more slowly by Marilla.

Matthew found her sitting on the path from the field, her legs stretched out in front.

"Anne? What is it? What have you done?"

"Oh, Matthew I've hurt my ankle. I can't walk."

Marilla arrived and knelt down to her "Mercy child what now?"

"I tried to ride the horse, but I fell off and hurt my ankle." A sad Anne replied.

"Didn't I absolutely forbid... oh what's the point?" Initially angry, Marilla realised that Anne was truly hurt and there was no point in chastising her.

"Let's get you inside then". Matthew bent over and picked Anne up. The disastrous state of her dress became apparent. Anne felt so relieved to have been found before she died of exposure outside, that she forgot to think about how much trouble she was in.

Matthew laid her in her bed and Marilla helped her undress. "Let's have a look at this ankle then." Marilla gently touched the joint, Anne gasped. A bruise was developing in vibrant purples and reds. "Can you wriggle your toes?" Anne complied. "It's probably just a sprain. Does it hurt?"

"Yes, it's very painful. Have I broken it?"

"I'm not sure, you've definitely sprained it. Just lie there and I'll fetch some rags to bind it."

Anne lay back feeling very silly and remorseful. Matthew stayed by his girl's side. "What happened?"

"I wanted to ride the horse too, it isn't fair that I'm not allowed. So I caught Merrijig and tried to jump on her back, but I overdid it and fell off the other side."

Matthew smiled at the thought, "Is that when you hurt yourself?"

"No, I had another go at it and stayed up, but she started trotting and I bounced off." Marilla walked in at the end of the story and looked at Anne wearily. "I'm sorry Marilla, I should have heeded you."

"Never mind, at least you weren't too badly hurt. There seems little point in punishing you, you're doing well enough on your own."

* * *

Joe went to bed after dinner. The boys had warned him about the pain that was to come. How bad could it be? he thought to himself. Well, he got his answer the next morning as he felt his bum had seized up. Joe found walking exceedingly painful, his bottom and thighs felt extremely stiff and tender. Marilla smiled as he gingerly made his way out to the kitchen for breakfast. "Are you in pain, Joe?"

"They did warn me, I thought they were exaggerating. I'm in agony Marilla."

"Hmm, I'm not sure about this horse riding business, Marilla. Both children seem to hurting today." Matthew commented. They turned to watch Joe gingerly limp out the door, his buttocks on fire.

* * *

* Yes, this happened to me, why do you ask?

AN I don't know why girls didn't ride on PEI, they certainly rode in other stories at a similar time.


	23. Chapter 23 Longings

_Hello dear readers. This is the beginning of a new story arc. Hope you enjoy it._

* * *

 _Naked . . . submerged . . . floating halos of bubble filled hair . . . entwined limbs_

It was their eyes that did it for him, a certain flash, a look to the side, brought him out in a hot blush. He didn't even have to be in their vicinity, the memory alone could do it.

Joe was maturing. No longer the small boy who arrived at Green Gables two years ago, he was now a strapping lad, lanky still as boys his age were, but tall with long limbs. His chest had not yet broadened, but his voice had broken, hair had sprouted. Girls were noticing him, but he had not yet noticed them. Last year it was Josie Pye who had most embarrassed him. Her unwarranted advances left him very unhappy, but after she had broken her ankle falling off the roof the day she slandered Anne and him, she had left him alone, much to his relief.

* * *

 _Soft red lips, fat wet tongue_

His wet dreams were intensifying, most mornings he sheepishly handed over a damp sheet for the laundry. Marilla took it without a murmur, but he could tell she was getting annoyed. The image in his mind when he awoke was no girl, it was Sam Sloane. Marilla was not too enamored of the Sloane family in general, she was wont to say, "Every village has such a family; good, honest, respectable people they may be, but SLOANES they are and must ever remain, though they speak with the tongues of men and angels."* Joe felt that Sam was the least sloanish of the Sloane clan. His auburn brown hair glinted in the sunlight, his bright blue eyes flashed, his long long legs . . . Oh he was going off into flights of fancy again. It wouldn't do.

Sam was oblivious to Joe's interest. At least Joe hoped he was, they'd barely spoken two words to each other since Joe's arrival in Avonlea, but he was always there, always on the periphery. Joe had noticed Sam a few weeks earlier and now couldn't get him out of his mind. His long fine fingers, his red lips, a few stray hairs on his chest and upper lip, no no nonononono, don't go there, Joe-boy. Don't disappear down that path. He couldn't help it, images would come to him unbidden at odd moments of the day. He tried to fill every moment to stop daydreaming, despite his best efforts they swam through his consciousness and arrived at the most inopportune times; at the dinner table, when he was milking, walking to school, sitting at his desk, chatting with Marilla or Matthew, sleeping. His body reacted every . single . time.

* * *

Marilla was lying in bed recovering from a sick headache. Even after the pain had receded she always felt tuckered out. It took a few days for her to fully recover. Now that Joe and Anne could help out around the house she felt she could take her time, rather than rush back into it.

Matthew asked Joe to take Marilla up a cup of tea. When Joe appeared at her bedroom doorway, she patted the bed next to her and he set the cup down on her bedside table and sat down. Now that Marilla had a good chance to look at him, he looked utterly miserable. His entire body was slumped as if in defeat. He looked exhausted with dark circles under his eyes.

"What is it Joe?"

He looked away. "Nuthin'"

"Joe?"

"It's nuthin'."

"Joe Franklin, look at me!"

Very reluctantly Joe turned his face to his adoptive mother, his eyes cast downwards. "Joe, _look at_ me!" she commanded. For the briefest instant he glanced up at her, their eyes locking, before he dropped them again.

"Now tell me what the matter is?"

"I can't."

There was nothing Joe wanted to do more, than pour his heart out to Marilla. To feel the balm of her approval, to be told that it would be all right. But he feared her reaction would not be so tolerant. He feared she would throw him out of the house there and then. He feared she would hate him forevermore. He feared her disappointment. So, he remained silent.

"Joe" said very softly.

"I can't, I just can't. You'll hate me. I couldn't stand it. I just can't." Joe sobbed.

"Joe" Marilla said softly, her heart breaking for her boy, "Joe, there is no power on earth that could make me hate you, I _love_ you."

He looked at her, tears in his eyes and wished, oh how he wished he could pour his heart out to her, but he wouldn't, he couldn't. He shook his head, no.

"Come here and give me a hug then."

He lay down on her breast and she held him while he sobbed his heart out. She murmured soft words of comfort, though she had no idea what the problem was. All she knew was that her boy was hurting, and it was her job to provide succour.

That night when Joe had gone to bed, Marilla padded out in her dressing gown to confront Matthew. He looked up at her approach. "Are you feeling better Marilla?"

"Better in body, worse in spirit."

"What's the matter?"

"Have you noticed anything amiss with Joe?"

"Maybe? He's been a bit quiet lately."

"Something is making him miserable. I don't know what. I tried to prise it out of him today, but he flat out refused to tell me."

"Girl problems do you think, like when Josie Pye was after him last year?"

"I don't know, I don't think so. Why would he be cagey about it, if it's happened before?"

Matthew looked at her mystified. "Maybe Anne knows something."

* * *

 _Water streaming down muscled, hairy legs_

Swimming in the little pool on the edge of Barry's pond every warm afternoon had become fashionable, just for the boys of course. Sometimes Joe thought he caught a glimpse of a white skirt through the distant trees, were the girls spying? It was one reason he wouldn't want to be a girl, all those petticoats, far better to be a boy with its attendant freedoms. The only drawback was that it was harder to hide his infatuation. He'd taken to shucking off his clothes and jumping straight in; earning him somewhat of a reputation. Gilbert would laugh remembering the timid boy who'd been too scared to swim when he first arrived. The boys would jostle around ribbing each other to go in second, while Joe trod water watching them, hoping no one could notice his burning crotch. Once they were all in, they would spend a couple of hours jumping in, ducking, splashing, teasing.

At night in bed he felt a longing, a straining, a tightening. He straightened his legs trying to get comfortable, but he could feel a throbbing. Think of something else, think of the washing up . . . Sam's soft curly hair, the way it curled up at the back, that little cowlick, the smudge of hair on his upper lip. No, no no nonononono. It wasn't right, they were both boys. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. Joe had never heard of boys liking each other that way, there were no novels where it happened like that. Girls and boys, boys and girls. Not _boys_ and boys, that was wrong. That wasn't the way of things.

* * *

Anne had noticed that Joe was more reserved, quieter than usual. He had never been loquacious, but now he was virtually mute. As they walked to school one morning she asked him if there was anything the matter.

"No."

"I don't believe you Joe. You can tell me. I'm your sister. How many times have I made mistakes?"

"This is different."

"So, there is something?"

"I guess."

"What is it? Have you done something bad?" Anne couldn't think what that could be, Joe was a pretty good brother."

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"I just can't okay, stop bugging me. Leave me the hell alone, all right!" Joe's voice rose to a crescendo before he ran off, leaving a dismayed and shocked Anne in his wake. Joe had never behaved that way around her. Joe ran off away from school and didn't attend that day. Her classmates wanted to know where he was, and she made up some lame excuse. He wasn't himself, but she didn't know if he was actually sick. She confided to Diana at lunchtime, leading her away from the crowd to chat to her in private.

"What's the matter Anne?" Diana asked anxiously.

"It's Joe, I'm really worried about him. He told me to get lost this morning and then he ran away. We tell each other everything, Di. I don't know why he's behaving this way."

"Have you told Matthew or Marilla?"

"No, I haven't seen them since he ran off."

"Do you think he'll go home tonight?"

"I think so, I hope so."

* * *

 _Erect wet nipples_

Night after night his dreams took him to Sam. They were writhing in the water, caressing, kissing, sucking, hugging. He simultaneously longed for and yet feared bedtime. Whilst he was in the dream it was exquisite, but he felt a mixture of elation and repulsion when he awoke. If even in his dreams he was sinning, what sort of a reprobate was he?

In his desperation, Joe had been scouring the Good Book for helpful passages. Marilla had been pleased when he asked to read their family Bible, thinking he was taking an interest in religion. She was mistaken of course, Joe was just looking for some mention of his infatuation. All he could find was Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. Or 20:33 If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. The New Testament was no better. Romans 1:26-27 For this cause, God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise, also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. Joe was horrified; was he going to hell for feeling this way? He couldn't help what happened in his dreams, could he? He threw the Bible away, narrowly missing the fireplace in his revulsion.

* * *

Joe slipped into the house just after Anne returned, but he didn't talk to anyone. He just got changed and went out to do his chores. Anne was relieved to see him, but he wouldn't talk to her. Anne found Matthew in the barn, milking. She sat on a milking stool next to him. Matthew was slightly surprised, it wasn't often Anne came out to give him company. "Anything up Anne?"

"It's Joe."

Matthew sighed inwardly, these womenfolk… "What about him?"

"I'm worried, he won't talk to me, but there's something wrong."

"Hmm, Marilla's worried too. I suppose I could try."

"You're a man, Matthew, maybe you could get through?"

Matthew caught up with Joe on their way back to the house for supper. Joe was steadfastly walking ahead, when Matthew called him back. Joe tried ignoring him, so Matthew was forced to jog to catch up with him. "Joe, wait up, I want a chat." Matthew had to catch Joe's arm to make him slow down. "What's up son?"

"Nothing's up, I don't know why everyone's so keen to believe there's something wrong. I'm just fi..." Joe's voice caught a bit at the end and he stopped suddenly mid-word.

"There is something then?"

Joe just looked at him stonily, unwilling to give anything away.

"Joe, we are just worried about you, is all. We just want you to know that whatever it is, we love you. We will always be there for you. We just need to know what the matter is?"

"You wouldn't say that if you knew." Joe muttered under his breath.

"What's that?"

"Look Matthew" said more loudly, "I know you all love me, I'm fine, all right. Please stop fussing over me. I'll be fine. I just have some stuff to work out, then I'll be back to normal."

"If you're sure." Joe nodded, wishing desperately that they would all just leave him alone. He just had to work through it himself. He just had to kiss Sam's fat luscious lips. His crotch twitched, he had to get away fast. "I have some homework to finish, so if you don't mind." He turned around and ran inside.


	24. Chapter 24

**Only Hope**

"So Marilla what's up?" Rachel served Marilla some tea as she spoke. Marilla had popped in for some advice.

"It's Joe. He's distant, worried about something. Morose."

"It'll be a girl, mark my words."

"A girl?"

"Yes, he's the age for it. It's a delicate matter, how do I put it"... she paused, "what is the state of his sheets?"

"Oh my Lord, the laundry!"

"Yes, it's a girl, that's what. He'll grow out of it. You'll get him back."

"God willing" Marilla said, as she sipped her tea.

* * *

There was a dance scheduled for the next weekend. Ben Trickleback had already asked Joe to play. Joe needed the money, but to be honest, he didn't really want to go. He needed the safety of his own bed at night, not trusting himself out in public right now.

Marilla was pleased, she wanted Joe to go out, thought it would do him some good. Maybe she'd ask Ben to have a word with him, for even a month later Joe was preoccupied, with what she did not know.

As Ben drove up, Marilla waylaid him before Joe appeared. She told him "We're a bit worried about Joe right now Ben. He refuses to talk to any of us, maybe he'll confide in you."

"Oh, what's the matter?"

"I don't know, but he's utterly wretched."

"Leave it to me, Miss Cuthbert."

She clutched his hand in gratitude and murmured a fervent "Thank you."

* * *

As Ben and Joe drove towards the Bright River church hall, they had time to chat. "So, how've ya been Joe?" Ben enquired gently.

"Not great."

"Why wassup?"

Joe hesitated. He hadn't meant to say anything, even to Ben. On the other hand, he had to talk to someone, he was unable to hold his feelings in anymore. The object of his affections was no longer Sam Sloane. His very sloanishness had sealed the deal. Joe had witnessed some particularly priggish Sloane behaviour when Sam had replied to one of the girls at lunch one day. They had all been sitting around chatting when Jane Bell had commented on the changing weather. Sam had pompously replied that the weather always changed with the equinox. Joe thought he was being ridiculous and all passion for Sam left him in that moment. Instead his gaze had shifted. Now it was Moody Spurgeon MacPherson who stirred his loins.

He stared out at the passing countryside for a while, watching the forest descend into a field of grain; the greens giving way to the gold, avoiding Ben's eye.

"Is it a girl?"

Joe dropped his head, and softly muttered "No, not a girl."

"Not a girl?" Ben queried.

"A boy." Joe barely breathed it out.

"Oh! It's that time is it?"

"Whaddaya mean _that_ time?"

"Joe, Joe, all boys get that feeling at some point. Are ya staining the sheets?"

Joe blushed bright red, "Yeah. Marilla's really annoyed."

"My advice is to take a small towel to bed at night, saves the laundry."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, look Joe. We all fantasise about someone at some point. May I know the object of your affections?"

"It's just a boy. You won't know him." Joe partially confessed.

"Only him?"

"There was someone else, but I've moved on."

"Have you told anyone, told Miss Cuthbert?"

"No, she'll tell me I'm going to hell. She'll kick me out for being a sodomite."

"Have you actually done anything yet, Joe?"

"We-ll no, but I dream about him all the time, day or night."

"So, you're not actually a sodomite are ya?"

"I guess not."

"Joe, everyone gets these dreams at some point. There's a big difference between dreaming something and acting. You aren't to blame for what your brain gets up to while you sleep."

"Really?" Hope was rising in Joe's mind.

"Yeah, and even if you do, one day, act upon it, that don't mean nuthin neither. What does the Bible say about love?"

"I know it says laying with a man is an abomination."*

"Joe, the Bible says all sorts of nonsense. If you take it literally, you can sell your daughter into slavery.** It was written over 2000 years ago. I don't think you need to take much stock in it."

"Really?"

"Gosh, you've been beating yourself up about this haven't you?"

"Uh huh." Joe nodded. "I read Marilla's Bible and I thought I'd be headed for hell for sure. I daren't tell her or Matthew. They'll detest me."

"Joe, I'm not sure about much in this world, but one thing I am sure of is their love for you. You know the Bible has a few things to say on love too, did you get to that part?"

Joe shook his head, "No I threw it away when I read I was bound for hell."

"Well the Bible also says something like 'place me like a seal over your heart; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away'.*** See, even the Bible acknowledges the power of love. It will not be denied." Ben clapped Joe across the shoulders as he spoke. "Do you want to tell Mr and Miss Cuthbert what's going on?"

"No." Joe shook his head vehemently. "I can't."

"Do you want me to tell them?"

"Please don't." Ben saw the wild pleading look in Joe's eyes and knew he could never break his confidence. "If you're still unsure about telling them any of this, you can always confide in me. I promise I won't break your trust. Can I just tell Marilla not to worry? She's concerned about you, you know."

"She told you?" Joe was suddenly defensive.

"She knows something's up."

"Please don't tell her what's going on, please don't."

"If you don't want me to, I promise I won't. Can I just tell her that you're sharing your fears with me and that you're going to be all right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Good, I'm glad we got that settled, because I can see the hall yonder. Once I park the wagon it'll be time to warm up."

* * *

"Did you talk to him?" Marilla enquired as an exhausted Joe made his way up to bed.

"I did." Ben replied.

"What did he say?"

"Miss Cuthbert, I promised I wouldn't say. He will be fine though. He hasn't actually done anything wrong."

"So, what is the problem then?"

"Like I say, I can't tell you. He doesn't want you to know. I promised I wouldn't break his confidence."

"Well at least he's talking to someone, I suppose."

"I hoped you'd take that stance. I agree, I just want to keep Joe talking. He asked me to ask you not to pry too much, he's finding that hard."

"It's not easy, I care about him so much."

"He knows you do. I told him." Ben reassured Marilla. "But despite that, you have to leave him alone a bit. You're driving him a bit crazy."

* * *

Green Gables  
Avonlea

 _Dear Mr Trickleback,_

 _I wish to thank you for talking to Joe the other day. Obviously, I do not know what you and Joe spoke about, as neither of you will tell me, but Joe is far happier in spirit than he has been for some while. We even get glimpses of our boy, the boy we have come to know and love._

 _While it of course hurts me that Joe feels he cannot confide in us, I am relieved he has a mentor such as yourself whom he feels he can turn to. It is obviously a huge weight off his mind. Whatever the matter is and was, it was making him wretched. I admit I have wracked my brains to get to the bottom of it, but I find I am no wiser than ever._

 _The harvest looms large. As you may recall Joe will be sent to Charlottetown for the duration as he cannot breathe in Avonlea while it is underway. I will miss my boy, but we have no choice, he would be utterly miserable here. Mrs Barry will continue to pay for Joe's music lessons while he is there which may make you happy._

 _He will return to Avonlea when the harvest has finished and will resume his studies and if you will allow it, to play in your band._

Yours very sincerely

Miss Marilla Cuthbert

* * *

Avonlea

Dear Miss Cuthbert

 _Thank you for your kind letter._

 _As you know, I am honor bound not to divulge the subject of my conversation with Joe. I know you desperately want me to, but I feel it would be breaking a confidence to do so. I want Joe to trust me, and so all I will say on the subject is that it is nothing terribly awful. To some extent, it is something that many boys go through at this age. I hope was able to put Joe's fears into some perspective._

 _I am relieved that he feels better since we spoke. He really was in an awful place. I do not say this as a criticism on your parenting, Miss Cuthbert. I do not think any parent could have done more for Joe, something he himself acknowledges. This is just a difficult phase he is going through._

 _I think Joe needed someone a bit more removed from the family to confide in. I am just happy I could play that part._

 _I will of course welcome Joe back upon his return from Charlottetown._

Yours Truly

Ben Trickleback

* * *

* Leviticus 18:22  
** Exodus 21:7  
*** Song of Solomon

 **So that's all folks, see you August.**


	25. Chapter 25 When Fairies Light

_This chapter is part of the Halloween story prompt. Please feel free to join in, the more the merrier, all you have to do is write a scary story before Halloween. It can be a chapter in your work in progress or a one-shot, featuring canon-compatible AoGG characters/timelines or your own AUs (and/or OCs). Ghost stories, creepy gothic romance, gruesome horror, whatever you like._

Sorry for the radio silence with regards to this story. I've been experiencing writers block. Eventually, without forcing it, something has occurred to me and so I present ...

* * *

 **When Fairies Light**

 _Upon that night, when fairies light  
On Cassilis Downans dance,  
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,  
On sprightly coursers prance.*_

* * *

"... and I'll just stick this in here." Anne stepped back to gauge the effect. "Oh!" She ran back to the house leaving Joe in her wake.

Marilla heard the front door bang open and watched Anne as she rushed in, a gust of cold air following her. "Close the door! Anne, come and help me with dinner!" But Anne had disappeared into the sewing room. "Anne! Anne! I'm talking to you." Anne appeared clutching a scrap of material and ran past Marilla through the door, leaving it wide open again. "Anne!" Marilla called again, ineffectually. "What was all that about, I wonder?" she murmured to herself, as she closed the door yet again.

Back in the barn, Anne used the piece of cloth saying "Aha, that works much better, see?" Joe looked on approvingly.

* * *

"It's so exciting. I wonder what will happen this year?" Anne asked Diana as they walked home arm in arm scuffing through the autumn leaves. There was a distinct chill to the air now, which announced the imminent arrival of winter. It was late October and all day the school house chatter concerned the much-anticipated Halloween festivities.

"Remember last year, you and Joe were just new to Avonlea," Diana commented.

"Yes, it was so much fun. We didn't get to celebrate at Hopeless, though the ghost got a bit of an airing. It was deliciously scary at the time, less so afterwards when I might get stuck in the attic or cellar." Anne distinctly remembered one horrifying night when she had been locked in the cellar for some misdemeanour or other; the thought of the ghost meant she got little sleep that night. "But enough of that, I don't like recalling Hopeless unless I can help it."

Anne arrived home around the same time as Joe. They quickly devoured some afternoon tea, raspberry tarts this afternoon, and filled Marilla in on the gossip before rushing out to complete their chores. Or at least Anne did, Joe wasn't to be found doing his usual jobs. Instead Anne found him in the deep recesses of the barn working on … something.

"What's that Joe?" Anne asked inquisitively.

"Shhh, I'm going to play a trick on Gilbert at Halloween."

"Oh, how delicious," Anne replied, rubbing her hands with glee. "What have you got planned?"

"I haven't sorted it all out yet, but I'm going to build a monster, see," Joe gestured towards some old wire, a paint tin and a pile of feathers. "Then I'm going to scare him somehow."

"Do you need a hand with anything?" Anne enquired. "I could help."

"That would be wonderful, Anne. I could really do with some ideas. I'm a bit stuck with how to do it. He's always playing pranks on me, I reckon it's time I got my own back."

* * *

Anne proved to be a great benefit. Not only did she provide a fresh perspective, but her excellent imagination improved Joe's initial idea.

When the children did not appear after the dinner bell was rung, Marilla sent Matthew out to the barn to fetch them in.

"Anne! Joe! Where are you, it's dinner time. Marilla is not best pleased. Time to come in now."

The children appeared looking sheepish. "Sorry Matthew, we were, ah, we were busy."

"Well now, I suppose that's all right, but it's time to eat."

"Wash your hands please," Marilla ordered before they sat down at the dinner table. "Where did you two disappear to after afternoon tea? I could have done with a hand here, Anne. You need to complete your chores and help me before you go off and get caught up, it's your responsibility to ..." Marilla continued the lecture but Anne was away, compiling a story in her own mind, drafting and redrafting it for better effect. "Anne! Are you listening to me?"

Under the table, Joe kicked Anne's ankle, "What? Oh sorry Marilla, you were saying?"

"I don't believe I had your full attention Anne, I was saying..." but Anne was off again, with another idea popping up. Marilla gave up, she could tell the girl was miles away.

"I apologise, Marilla," Joe added. "We got a bit caught up in the barn."

"Caught up? What does that mean?"

"We're, um, planning something. I'm sorry I kept her from helping you," Joe explained.

"What was all that about?" Marilla asked Matthew as they sat by the fire when the children were doing the washing up.

"Do you know the date?"

"October 28? What's that go to do with? Oh. Yes, I see. It's nearly Halloween, isn't it. I hope they're not planning something dangerous." Though truth be told she was rather happy they were cooking something up. Joe had been so morose a few months earlier, it was good to see him excited about something. Whatever Ben Trickleback had said to him had worked evidently. Bit by bit their boy was reemerging.

* * *

"What ya planning for Halloween, Franklin?" Gilbert asked.

"Nothing. I'm working. There's a dance over at Carmody and Ben needs me to play," Joe lied easily. It had been Anne's suggestion to conceal his whereabouts.

"Aww, that's too bad, Franklin, we've got so much planned. I was hoping to see you at the Barry's bonfire."

"Yeah, usually I love working but I'm sorry I have to miss out on all the fun. I hate to say no, though," Joe embellished, "if I refuse too many times they might replace me."

At lunchtime children could be seen huddled in small groups plotting their Halloween escapades, it was to be a night full of pranks and fun. It couldn't come soon enough for Joe and Anne, though they still had to put the finishing touches on their 'monster'. Anne had written a blood curdling script for Joe which was sure to have Gilbert quivering in fear.

No school day had ever seemed longer. Mr Philips was in a bad mood because his pupils were not concentrating on their lessons at all. Eventually, to everyone's relief he announced that school was over and they spilled out in all directions, promising to meet up later that night at the Barry's bonfire, held as usual next to the pond.

* * *

It was dark as pitch outside, but around the bonfire the children's faces were lit by the flames. Shadows bounced off the nearby bushes and trees, providing an excellently spooky atmosphere. Several people had played practical jokes upon one another, but so far Gilbert had escaped. He had pranked Moody, putting slimy mud and grass in a box, and tying it up like a present. Moody had got quite a shock when he opened the box in the gloom and had stuck his hand in inquisitively. Moody swore, especially as Gilbert murmured "eels" in his ear as he investigated the contents. Gilbert had laughed uproariously as Moody threw the mess down and was splattered by wet mud as the box bounced on the ground.

Later the children were all seated around the bonfire, "... then they watched the water ghoul emerge from the black depths, water streaming off it in a great gush..." Anne continued her story, her friends listening raptly. They were all seated around the bonfire, its embers keeping them warm, with anticipated potatoes cooking in the coals. Anne could always be relied upon to tell an excellent story. "He said in a deep voice..."

"Prepare to meet thy doom, Gilbert Blythe" came a voice from another direction. Ruby, Jane, Tilly and Diana all screamed in terror. Their high pitched voices joining up into a petrified squeal as colour drained from their faces. Even the boys looked rather panicked. Gilbert did well to keep it together, but his guts had turned to water. Out of the darkness a horrible tall monster emerged, water streamed off its black feathers, and its red eyes glowed in the torchlight. "Gilbert Blythe!" it commanded "I have come for thee," its arms reached out.

"It's just Franklin, Gilbert. It's a stupid prank," Billy was certain.

"N-no. He's away playing a g-gig. It's not h-him," Gilbert explained, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice. He stood up and backed away from the firelight.

The monster came closer. As the children viewed it in horror, they could see the feathers in a kind of headdress around the monster's face, which was mostly black apart from some green spots here and there. It was tall, taller than a man and it lurched towards them all. Only Anne seemed to be enjoying herself, but everyone else was too scared to notice. As the monster came closer to the firelight, Anne challenged it. "Go back to the lake, ghoul," she commanded. "Go back to whence you came." This was not part of the script, it had just occurred to her. Unfortunately, her words said in a deep voice caused the ghoul to burst into laughter.

Joe pulled off his mask saying, "ouf it stinks in there."

"It was you! It was you Franklin. Oh!"

"Yeah, sorry Blythe. I reckoned I owed you one, after all the pranks you've played on me this year. What did you think?"

"I gotta say that was excellent, Franklin. Well done, you really got me. But I warn you, it's Guy Fawkes next week. I'd watch yourself." Gilbert replied with a grin. He was heartily glad the prank was over.

* * *

 ***** _Halloween_ , Robert Burns 1785

 **Authors notes**

Halloween was brought to North America by the Scots and Irish immigrants. Traditionally it was a night of fun and frivolity rather than trick or treating, which is why there is no mention of that here.

Bonfire Night/Guy Fawkes commemorates the failed Irish plot to blow up the English Houses of Parliament. The main plotter, Guy Fawkes was hung, drawn and quartered. All around the Empire, children remembered him by setting off crackers and burning Guy in effigy. Fun all round. It is held on 5 November each year. Private fireworks are banned in Australia, but it's still a popular activity in Britain.


End file.
